OUR  OBLIGATION 
TO  THE  DAY  OF 
REST  AND  WORSHIP 


WY:  JAMES  PATTERSON  HUTCHISON 


LIBRARYOF 


IGIOUS  THOUGHT 


DEC  ) 


BV 

130  .H97  1916 

Hutchison,  James 

Pattei 

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Our 

obligations 

to  the 

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OUR   OBLIGATIONS 

TO  THE  DAY  OF 
REST    AND   WORSHIP 

■EC    8 

BY 

y 

REV.  JAMES  PATTERSON  HUTCHISON 

Gen.  Sec.  of  the  Mid-West  District  of  the  Lord's  Day 
Alliance.     Member  of  the  Presbytery  of  Topeka 

^.       ,-     ,  . 

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ABTIetV6Rn>JTl 


BOSTON:  RICHARD  G.  BADGER 

TORONTO:      THE    COPP    CLARK    CO.,   LIMITED 


Copyright,    1916,   by   James  P.   Hutchison 


All   Rights   Reserved 


The  Gorham   Press,   Bostok,   U.   S.   A. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

I.     A  Call   for  the  Defense  of  the   Day  of 

Rest  and  Worship   7 

The  question,  how  to  observe  and  defend 
the  Sabbath.    Need  of  an  organized  effort. 

II.     Authority  for  the  Sabbath 15 

Traces  of  the  Sabbath  in  remote  his- 
tory. Authority  for  the  Sabbath  in  the 
Bible  account  of  creation;  from  the  law 
of  our  being;  from  the  decalogue'.  The 
ten  commandments  perpetual.  Authority 
from  words  and  example  of  Jesus.  His 
healing  on  the  Sabbath.  Scripture  teach- 
ing on  the  Sabbath.  Paul's  statements 
about  certain   days  explained. 

III.  One  Day's  Rest  in  Seven 38 

Amount  of  Sunday  and  seven-day  labor 
in  the  U.  S.  Sunday  labor  in  the  steel  and 
other  industries,  and  in  certain  states.  Mor- 
al effect  of  Sunday  labor. 

IV.  Physical  Result  of  Seven-Day  Labor.  ...     46 

The  nervous  system  in  bodily  health  and 
vitality.  How  it  is  damaged  by  seven-day 
labor.  Oxygen  in  physical  repair,  and  how 
effected  by  the  day  of  rest.  Dr.  Haeglers 
diagram.  Damage  of  fatigue.  Six-day 
labor  compared  with  seven. 
V.     Economic  Benefits  of  Sunday  Rest 54 

Principles  effecting  economic  results  of 
seven-day    work.      Example    of    Jefferson 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Furnace  and  other  companies.  Post  Office 
department.  Cripple  Creek  petition. 
Horses  in  Chicago  street  car  service.  In- 
creased efficency  of  men  because  of  day 
of  rest.  Incident  of  Mr.  Major  with  ox 
teams. 

VI.  Relation  of  Sabbath  Observance  to  the 
Development  of  Christian  Life  and  Char- 
acter        65 

Spiritual  benefits  take  precedence  over 
increased  dividends.  Time  required  for 
development  of  character  underestimated. 
The  Sabbath,  God's  remedy  for  religious 
problems.  Dying  at  the  top.  Answers  to 
questions  sent  out.  Facts  resulting  from 
uses  of  the  Sabbath.  Drifting  from  the 
Christian  life  because  of  Sunday  labor. 
Sunday  amusements.  The  drift  from  Sab- 
bath desecration  to  unbelief  and  paganism. 
Testimony  of  Justices  Hale^  Strong  and 
others  on  Sabbath  desecration  and  crime. 
Record  of  descendants  of  Sabbath  keeping 
compared  with  non-Sabbath  keeping  famil- 
ies.    Illustration  of  the  garden. 

VII.     Methods    of    Securing   A    Day    of    Rest 

Each  Week  in  Continuous  Industry   ....      90 

The  principle  approved  but  not  practic- 
ed. Blair  Sunday  Rest  Bill.  Three  re- 
quirements'. Organized  effort;  agitation; 
legislation.  Model  statement  for  Sunday 
rest  law.  The  plea  that  Sunday  labor  is 
reduced  to  the  minimum.  Action  of  organ- 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

izations  showing  desire  for  a  day  of  rest. 
Crisis  now  upon  us. 
Vni.     How  to  Keep  the  Sabbath io6 

Sacred  requirements  before  secular.  The 
Sabbath  sacred.  Where  we  go?  in  Sab- 
bath keeping.  What  we  read?  Medita- 
tion in  Sabbath  keeping.  Illustration  of 
a  garden.  The  man  who  refused  Sunday 
work. 
IX.     Change  of  the  Sabbath  from  the  Seventh 

to  the  First  Day  of  the  Week 1 16 

Christian  Sabbath  in  honor  of  our  Salva- 
tion. Greek  "Sabbaton."  In  New  Testa- 
ment after  resurrection,  for  the  first  day  of 
the  week.  Testimony  from  early  church 
fathers.  The  Sabbath  around  the  world. 
Evidence  that  time  of  the  Sabbath  was 
changed  in  Old  Testament  times.  The 
Holy  Spirit  has  honored  the  first  day  Sab- 
bath. 

X.     Plans  of  Work 126 

Action  necessary.  The  work  that 
counts.  Utilities  Commissions  and  others. 
The  public  telephone.  Sunday  mail.  Sun- 
day stores.  Sunday  baseball.  How  to 
close  Sunday  sporting  rooms.  This  work 
requires  the  support  of  special  workers. 
Petition  of  Engineers  of  the  N.  Y.  C.  Ry. 
American  organizations  for  Sabbath  de- 
fense. 


OUR  OBLIGATIONS  TO  THE  DAY  OF  REST 
AND  WORSHIP 


Our  Obligations  to  the  Day 
of  Rest  and  Worship 

CHAPTER  I 

A  CALL   FOR  THE  DEFENSE  OF  THE  DAY  OF   REST  AND 
WORSHIP 

"The  Sabbath  was  made  for  man." — Jesus. 

"As  we  keep  or  break  the  Sabbath  we  nobly  save  or 
meanly  lose  the  last  hope  by  which  man  rises'* — Lin- 
coln. 

"The  longer  I  live  the  more  highly  do  I  esteem  the 
proper  observance  of  the  Christian  Sabath  and  the  more 
grateful  do  I  feel  toward  those  who  impress  its  import- 
ance on  the  community ." — Webster. 

HOW  should  we  keep  the  Day  of  Rest 
and  worship,  has  been  a  problem  through 
the  centuries.  These  pages  are  written  to 
help  the  reader  to  think,  first  of  all,  how 
he  should  observe  the  day  so  as  to  get  the  most  out  of 
it,  considering  all  his  interests,  physical,  moral  and 
spiritual,  and  live  in  harmony  with  our  Master.  The 
fourth  commandment  is  before  us,  "Remember  the 
Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy.  Six  days  shalt  thou  labor 
and  do  all  thy  work;  but  the  seventh  day  is  the  Sabbath 
of  the  Lord  thy  God ;  in  it  thou  shalt  not  do  any  w^ork, 

7 


8       Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

thou,  nor  thy  son,  nor  thy  daughter,  thy  man-servant, 
nor  thy  maid-servant,  nor  thy  cattle,  nor  thy  stranger 
that  is  v^^ithin  thy  gates;  for  in  six  days  the  Lord 
made  heaven  and  earth,  the  sea  and  all  that  in  them 
is,  and  rested  on  the  seventh  day :  v^^heref ore  the  Lord 
blessed  the  Sabbath  day  and  hallowed  it."  This  com- 
mand is  in  the  decalogue  and  it  has  its  claims  upon  us. 
How  should  we  keep  it?  Each  one  must  solve  the 
question  for  himself.  No  one  can  be  conscience  for 
another.  Some  do  not  regard  it  as  having  any  binding 
force  upon  them.  Perhaps  they  have  not  thought  much 
about  the  subject,  or  have  not  been  trained  to  observe 
the  day.  Others  are  convinced  that  it  is  the  law  of 
God,  binding  upon  us  as  the  other  commands  of  the 
decalogue.  Some  have  no  settled  convictions  on  how 
the  day  should  be  observed,  and  use  it  as  those  about 
them  may  lead.  The  question  we  want  each  one  to 
ask  is,  how  should  I,  situated  as  I  am,  spend  the  Sab- 
bath so  as  to  obey  the  requirements  of  this  command- 
ment, so  as  to  please  God  best  and  receive  and  give  the 
greatest  benefits  intended  by  it?  This  is  a  strenuous 
century  with  modern  inventions,  large  corporations  and 
fast  living.  How  far  should  the  Christian  Sabbath 
bend  to  suit  these  conditions,  and  how  far  should  the 
conditions  be  made  to  conform  to  the  fourth  command- 
ment. 

The  reader  is  asked  to  think,  also,  how  he  should 
conduct  his  business  or  occupation  on  Sunday.     Will 


Defense   of  the   Day   of  Rest  and   Worship       9 

your  business  yield  a  larger  profit  by  Sunday  and 
seven-day  labor,  or  by  turning  the  key  upon  it  Saturday 
night  and  not  opening  up  for  business  until  Monday 
morning?  Some  attend  to  business  seven  days  in  the 
week,  while  others,  in  the  same  pursuit,  use  the  day 
for  rest  and  moral  development.  Are  they  more  pros- 
perous who  attend  to  business  on  the  Lord's  Day  or 
those  who  do  not  ?  And  then  our  moral  and  Christian 
character  enter  into  the  problem;  do  profits  increase 
by  Sunday  and  seven-day  labor  to  render  an  equivalent 
for  the  benefits  of  Sunday  rest  and  moral  development? 
Is  it  right  to  employ  others  in  Sunday  and  seven-day 
labor  so  as  to  deprive  them  of  opportunities  of  Sunday 
rest  and  the  advantages  of  moral  development  that  its 
observance  affords?  Can  a  person  do  more  and  think 
as  clearly  by  seven  days  of  labor  each  week,  or  by  six 
days  of  labor  and  a  day  of  rest  and  worship?  What 
are  the  "works  of  necessity?"  What  is  the  minimum 
of  Sunday  labor  in  your  business?  What  plan  can  be 
adopted  which  will  allow  the  toilers  who  do  the  neces- 
sary Sunday  work  to  rest  and  attend  church? 

The  defense  of  the  Sabbath  in  the  community  needs 
attention,  also.  There  are  places  where  the  sound  of 
the  church  bell  is  blended  with  the  noise  of  building 
and  teaming  and  holiday  sports  of  the  children;  where 
places  of  business  are  open  on  the  Sabbath  day  and 
people  are  coming  and  going  with  purchases  from  the 
stores;  and  their  arrangements  for  social  affairs  and 


lO     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

pleasure  outings  make  it  impossible  to  attend  the  public 
worship  of  the  church.  All  because  the  people  have 
not  thought  how  they  should  defend  the  day  in  the 
community  for  the  nobler  purposes  of  rest  and  spiritual 
upbuilding.  Historians  tell  us  that  crime  and  immor- 
ality follow  Sabbath  desecration.  And  from  those 
places  where  the  day  is  largely  given  over  to  frivolity 
and  business  and  conversation  about  secular  affairs, 
proceed  a  large  proportion  of  persons  of  degenerate 
and  criminal  tendencies,  and  a  small  proportion  of  indi- 
viduals of  the  nobler  attainments  and  ambitions  of 
Christian  character.  In  contrast  with  this  is  the  com- 
munity where  the  Sabbath  has  been  more  nobly  defend- 
ed for  the  sacred  purposes  of  the  day;  where  stores  are 
closed  and  the  people  do  no  trading;  where  sporting 
and  festivities  are  not  engaged  In,  and  the  call  to  wor- 
ship is  responded  to  by  a  people  who  have  formed  the 
habit  of  using  the  day  for  more  sacred  purposes.  From 
such  places  go  forth  a  large  number  who  occupy  prom- 
inent places  of  honor  and  usefulness,  and  the  percentage 
of  crime  is  very  low. 

The  situation  today,  calls  for  the  attention  of  the 
people  to  another  phase  of  this  subject — to  a  united  and 
organized  movement  for  reducing  Sunday  and  seven- 
day  labor  to  the  minimum,  and  defending  the  quiet  of 
the  day  for  rest  and  worship.  A  special  and  combined 
effort  Is  required  for  this  work.  Leaders  are  needed 
who  are  specialists  in  this  kind  of  effort  who  have 


Defense   of  the   Day   of  Rest  and   Worship     1 1 

studied  the  conditions  and  have  seen  and  feel  the 
wrongs  of  Sabbath  desecration.  We  need  leaders  who 
know  and  realize  the  greatness  of  the  numbers  of  young 
men  and  women  who  are  kept  out  of  the  Christian  life 
by  this  evil  that  abounds  and  are  pushed  down  into 
godlessness  and  demoralization.  The  people  must  stand 
back  of  those  whose  souls  are  on  fire  with  zeal  for  this 
cause,  and  who  are  able  to  plan  and  lead  the  movement 
for  defending  the  day  of  rest  and  worship.  The  public 
mind  must  be  instructed  and  the  public  conscience 
awakened  to  a  sense  of  the  wrongs  done.  Petitions 
must  be  placed  before  those  who  are  in  position  to  reg- 
ulate Sunday  labor.  Efforts  already  made  prove  that 
much  can  be  done. 

As  the  Anti-Saloon  League  and  other  temperance 
organizations  combine  the  efforts  of  the  people  in  pre- 
venting the  evils  of  the  liquor  traffic;  and  the  Home 
Mission  organizations  are  the  effort  of  the  people  in 
building  up  the  religious  life  in  neglected  places;  and 
the  Foreign  Mission  Societies  unite  the  efforts  of  the 
people  in  carrying  Christianity  into  pagan  lands;  so 
the  Lord's  Day  Alliance  and  kindred  organizations 
combine  the  efforts  of  the  people  in  securing  the  bene- 
fits of  a  day  of  rest  and  worship. 

There  never  was  a  time  when  it  was  not  necessary 
to  make  an  effort  to  prevent  the  Sabbath  from  being 
crowded  out.  In  the  days  when  Jeremiah  was  the 
religious  leader  of  the  people,  God  told  him  to  stand 


12     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

in  the  gates  of  Jerusalem  and  instruct  the  rulers  and 
people  in  Sabbath  keeping,  and  reprove  them  for  their 
Sabbath  desecration.  In  the  days  of  Nehemiah,  a  cen- 
tury and  a  half  later,  he  said,  "What  evil  thing  is  this 
that  ye  do,  and  profane  the  Sabbath  day?  Did  not 
your  fathers  thus,  and  did  not  God  bring  all  this  evil 
upon  this  city?  Yet  ye  bring  more  vi^rath  upon  Israel 
by  profaning  the  Sabbath."  He  then  put  forth  meas- 
ures to  defend  the  Sabbath.  When  God  gave  the  com- 
mandments, including  the  fourth,  to  the  Hebrew 
nation,  He  told  them  repeatedly,  "Ye  shall  teach  them 
diligently  to  your  children,  speaking  of  them  when 
thou  sittest  in  thine  house,  and  when  thou  walkest  by 
the  way,  when  thou  liest  down,  and  when  thou  risest  up. 
And  thou  shalt  write  them  upon  the  door  posts  of  thine 
houses  and  upon  thy  gates."  Many  times  the  Scriptures 
record  earnest  directions  to  keep  the  Sabbaths.  And  it 
is  held  up  before  us  that  because  they  polluted  the  Sab- 
bath judgment  was  sent  upon  them.  Always  it  has 
been  necessary  to  make  special  effort  to  protect  the  day 
for  its  sacred  uses.  The  people  who  have  not  made 
that  sufficient  effort  have  forgotten  their  Creator  and 
in  their  blindness  and  idolatrous  worship  have  paid  the 
penalty  of  an  irreligous  people.  Today,  when  business 
is  on  such  a  large  scale  that  labor  can  scarcely  cease 
with  many  for  a  day,  and  the  attractions  appeal  to  the 
baser  nature  as  never  before,  we  are  in  danger  of  allow- 
ing the  love  of  money  and  the  love  of  pleasure  to  rule 


Defense   of   the   Day   of  Rest  and   Worship     13 

out  the  nobler  sentiments  by  crowding  out  the  Sab- 
bath. We  need  to  think  carefully  how  we  can  help 
in  a  united  movement  to  defend  the  day. 

Never  was  the  Sabbath  so  strongly  attacked,  or  so 
poorly  defended  as  in  this  commercial  age.  While  we 
are  directed  to  teach  Sabbath  keeping  diligently  unto 
our  children,  inscribing  it  upon  "the  door  posts  of  thine 
house  and  upon  thy  gates,"  we  find,  instead,  that  large 
numbers  of  parents  are  bringing  up  their  children  with 
no  instruction  or  example  on  this  subject.  They  make 
the  day  a  holiday  with  no  instruction  in  the  moral  and 
religious  life  in  the  home.  Many  children  see  their 
fathers  start  out  on  Sunday  morning  with  his  work 
clothes  and  dinner  pail  to  his  work.  Many  others 
spend  the  day  in  sporting  and  return  at  the  end  of 
the  day  wearied  with  pleasure  seeking.  Some  go  to 
Sunday-school  in  the  forenoon  and  leave  the  church  at 
the  close  to  spend  the  remainder  of  the  day  in  carousal. 
They  pass  through  the  formative  period  of  life  seeing 
business,  labor  and  sporting  on  all  sides  on  the  Sab- 
bath, and  when  they  read  the  fourth  commandment, 
"Remember  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy.  Six  days 
shalt  thou  labor  and  do  all  thy  work;  but  the  seventh 
day  is  the  Sabbath  of  the  Lord  thy  God;  in  it  thou 
shalt  not  do  any  work,"  they  wonder  what  it  means. 
Is  it  any  wonder  that  multitudes  are  about  us  who  are 
in  a  state  of  inquiry  about  the  meaning  of  the  fourth 
command  of  the  decalogue? 


14     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

Attention  is  not  given  to  this  subject  adequate  to  its 
need  and  importance.  The  writer  has  given  attention 
to  the  number  of  books  on  this  subject  in  the  public 
libraries  in  smaller  and  larger  cities.  The  result  of  the 
inquiry  is,  that  no  book  on  the  subject  is  found  usually, 
in  the  smaller  cities,  and  those  in  the  larger  libraries  are 
few  and  out  of  date,  generally.  Large  numbers  of 
volumes  are  found  upon  other  subjects  of  comparatively 
trifling  importance,  while  the  Sabbath,  which  is  funda- 
mental in  the  moral  and  spiritual  upbuilding  of  every 
life,  inseparably  essential  to  the  church  and  important 
for  the  highest  good  of  every  home,  is  given  the  smallest 
consideration.  Is  there  not  occasion  for  us  to  stop  and 
think  of  the  meaning  and  need  of  the  fourth  command 
of  the  decalogue? 


CHAPTER  II 


AUTHORITY  FOR  THE  SABBATH 

"Remember  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy/' — The 
Fourth  Commandment. 

''//  is  easier  for  heaven  and  earth  to  pass,  than  for 
one  tittle  of  the  law  to  fail/' — Jesus. 

'7  was  in  the  Spirit  on  the  Lord's  Day/' — John  I, 
10. 

''Where  there  is  no  Christian  Sabbath,  there  is  no 
Christian  morality;  and  without  this  free  institutions 
cannot  long  be  sustained/' — Justice  McLean  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  U.  S. 

''Laws  setting  aside  Sunday  as  a  day  of  rest  are  up- 
held, not  from  any  right  of  the  Government  to  legis- 
late for  the  promotion  of  religious  observances,  but 
from  its  right  to  protect  all  persons  from  the  physical 
and  moral  debasement  that  cotnes  from  uninterrupted 
labor.  Such  laws  have  ahvays  been  deemed  beneficial 
and  merciful  laws,  especially  to  the  poor  and  dependent, 
to  the  laborers  in  our  factories  and  workshops  and  in 
the  heated  rooms  of  our  cities;  and  their  validity  has 
been  sustained  by  the  higher  courts  of  the  states/' — 
Supreme  Court  of  the  U.  S.  by  Justice  Field. 

"The  stability  and  character  of  our  country  and  the 
advancement  of  our  race  depends,  I  believe,  very  largely 
upon  the  mode  in  ivhich  the  Day  of  rest,  which  seems 
to  have  been  specially  adapted  to  the  needs  of  mankind, 
shall  be  used  and  observed/' — JoHN  Bright. 

15 


1 6     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

"Of  all  Divine  institutions,  the  most  Divine  is  that 
which  secures  a  day  of  rest  for  men,  I  hold  it  to  be 
the  most  valuable  blessing  ever  conceded  to  humanity/* 
— Lord  Beaconsfield  in  House  of  Commons. 

"There  has  perhaps  never  been  a  topic  on  which  a 
greater  number  of  the  wise  and  good  have  been  agreed, 
than  the  Divine  authority,  the  sanctity  and  the  value  of 
a  weekly  day  of  rest  and  prayer" — Gilfillan. 

"Experience  shows  that  the  day  of  rest  is  essential 
to  mankind;  that  it  is  demanded  by  civilization,  as  well 
as  by  Christianity/' — Theodore  Roosevelt. 

BRIEFLY  stated,  the  authority  for  the  Sab- 
bath is  In  the  account  of  the  creation  in 
Genesis;  In  the  fourth  commandment;  in 
Christ's  acknowledgment  of  the  Sabbath;  In 
the  continual  reference  to  it  throughout  the  Bible;  in 
the  evident  need  of  a  day  In  seven  for  rest  and  moral 
and  religious  refreshment,  discovered  In  the  physical, 
moral  and  spiritual  nature  of  humanity  as  we  read  it 
in  the  Scriptures. 

The  Bible  account  of  the  creation  Is  written  in  ref- 
erence to  the  idea  of  six  days  for  work  and  a  sacred 
day.  "The  evening  and  the  morning  were  the  first  day. 
The  second  day,"  through  the  six  days.  "He  rested 
on  the  seventh  day  from  all  the  work  which  He  had 
made.  And  God  blessed  the  seventh  day  and  sanctified 
it;  because  that  in  it  He  had  rested  from  all  His  work 
which  God  created  and  made."  Nothing  has  given  us 
the  week  but  the  sacred  day  in  seven.     The  seasons 


Authority  for  the  Sabbath  1 7 

define  the  year,  but  no  natural  division  has  given  us  the 
week.  Wherever  we  find  the  week  of  six  days  and  a 
sacred  day,  we  find  evidence  of  the  Sabbath.  For  a 
sacred  day  in  seven  is  the  only  thing  that  defines  the 
week.  Humboldt  says,  '*We  find  the  cycle  of  seven 
days  among  the  Hindoos,  Chinese,  Assyrians  and  the 
Egyptians." 

Traces  of  the  Sabbath  are  found  throughout  history. 
The  word  "Sabbath,"  is  found  on  Acadian  tablets  of 
baked  clay,  now  in  the  British  Museum,  that  came  from 
the  age  of  Noah,  who  talked  with  Methuselah,  who 
talked  with  Adam.  The  ancient  heathen  nations  who 
lost  the  sacredness  of  the  Sabbath,  and  turned  from  the 
true  worship  of  God,  yet  retained  the  week,  six  days 
and  a  sacred  day.  Ancient  Egypt  worshipped  Osiras, 
the  Sun-god,  symbolized  by  Apis,  the  golden  bull,  one 
day  in  seven.  The  Sabbath  was  observed  on  the  plains 
of  Babylon  before  the  Hebrew  nation  was  known,  gen- 
erations before  the  ten  commandments  were  given  on 
Sinai.  The  language  of  ancient  Assyria  has  the  word 
"sabattuv,"  with  the  meaning,  "day  of  rest  of  the 
heart."  (See  F.  Delitzsch  in  II  RawL,  32,  16).  This 
should  make  clear  that  the  Sabbath  was  not  intended 
for  the  Jews  only,  as  we  have  heard  a  few  persons 
say.  It  was  made  at  the  creation  of  the  world;  that 
is.  He  made  the  world  with  reference  to  six  days  for 
labor  and  a  day  for  rest  and  religious  worship.  As 
He   made   the  world   with   reference   to   the   law   of 


1 8     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

honesty  and  the  law  of  truth,  so  He  stamped  in  the  na- 
ture of  man  that  form  of  being  which  requires  a  day 
of  rest  in  seven  and  time  to  cease  from  labor  and  turn 
his  attention  to  the  higher  truths  belonging  to  moral 
character.  Honesty  has  been  for  the  welfare  of  society, 
for  God  made  man  with  that  law  built  into  his  nature. 
There  never  was  a  time  when  it  was  not  wrong  to 
steal.  And  there  never  was  a  time  when  murder  was 
not  wrong.  When  Cain  killed  Abel  his  blood  cried 
out  from  the  ground  just  the  same  as  it  does  today, 
when  that  crime  is  done.  The  law  of  the  Sabbath  is 
likewise  the  same.  Man  grows  just  as  weary  with  seven 
day  toil  as  he  ever  did,  and  he  is  just  as  prone  to  for- 
get God  and  become  demoralized  and  godless  without  a 
day  each  week  for  the  study  of  the  higher  qualities  of 
his  being.  The  ten  commandments  define  the  relations 
which  the  Creator  established  between  man  and  Him- 
self and  between  man  and  his  fellowman,  when  He  made 
the  world.  These  relations  never  change.  Christ  said 
"It  is  easier  for  heaven  and  earth  to  pass,  than  for  one 
tittle  of  the  law  to  fail."  The  heavens  must  pass  away 
sooner  than  the  nature  of  man  would  change  so  that 
continuous  labor  would  not  weaken  man  by  weariness, 
or  when  man  would  not  become  godless  with  no  day 
in  the  week  for  moral  and  religious  purposes.  Before 
the  Creator  inscribed  the  fourth  commandment  upon 
the  tables  of  stone  at  Sinai,  the  same  hand  built  that  law 
into  the  nature  of  man  in  the  Creation. 


Authority  for  the  Sabbath  19 

Authority  for  the  Sabbath,  then,  is  on  the  same 
basis  as  authority  for,  "Thou  shalt  not  steal,"  or  "Thou 
shalt  not  kill."  God  made  the  world  that  way.  Each 
nerve  and  sinew  of  our  bodies  is  constructed  under  the 
law  of  one  day  in  seven  for  rest.  He  made  the  Sab- 
bath law  when  He  made  the  soul  of  man.  He  made  the 
soul  of  man  so  that  it  needs  a  day  in  seven  to  give  thanks 
and  worship  its  Creator;  liable  to  forget  its  Creator 
and  needing  to  seek  help.  He  created  the  Sabbath  law 
when  He  created  the  affections  in  the  soul,  needing  a 
day  in  seven  to  turn  to  the  Creator  and  the  nobler  ob- 
jects which  we  should  love,  but  liable  to  turn  to  baser 
things.  When  Jesus  said  "The  Sabbath  was  made  for 
man,"  He  evidently  meant  that  it  was  made  in  the 
creation  of  the  world.  It  was  not  made  when  the  ten 
commandments  were  given,  but  when  the  world  was 
created.  It  was  not  for  the  Jews,  only,  but  for  every 
human  being,  and  for  the  creatures  under  us. 

We  have  reliable  authority  for  the  Sabbath  because 
it  is  in  the  decalogue.  To  realize  fully  that  the  fourth 
commandment  is  for  our  observance  we  should  notice 
the  place  the  ten  commandments  occupy  as  the  law  of 
God  for  our  guidance. 

First  of  all,  they  are  from  God.  Not  because  He 
gave  them  on  Mount  Sinai  any  more  than  for  the 
reason  that  He  made  the  world  with  these  laws  in  the 
world  and  in  man.  The  law  contained  in  the  com- 
mandments are  written  upon  the  heart  of  man.     We 


20     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

know  from  our  inner  consciousness  that  it  is  wrong  to 
steal ;  we  know  that  one  day  in  seven  for  rest  is  needful 
and  that  we  should  have  a  day  each  week  free  from 
secular  toil  that  we  might  worship  God  and  develop 
our  moral  and  spiritual  natures;  we  know  that  it  is 
wrong  to  bear  false  witness.  The  ten  commandments 
only  define  the  duties  which  were  established  by  our 
Creator  when  He  made  the  world.  We  publish  the 
laws  of  gravitation;  but  they  were  established  in  the 
relations  of  things  when  the  world  was  created.  We 
publish  the  law  which  we  find  when  water  becomes  ice 
at  a  certain  temperature,  the  law  of  expansion  which 
the  beneficent  Creator  made  when  He  designed  the 
world.  So  the  ten  commandments  only  define  our  du- 
ties to  God  and  man  which  were  fixed  by  the  all-wise 
Creator  when  He  made  the  world.  God  is  the  author 
of  them.  The  Sabbath  was  not  founded  but  promul- 
gated by  giving  the  law  from  Sinai. 

The  fact  that  God  gave  the  ten  commandments  is 
emphasized  in  the  account  in  the  Scriptures.  "He  gave 
unto  Moses,  when  He  had  made  an  end  of  communing 
with  him,  upon  Mount  Sinai,  two  tables  of  testimony, 
tables  of  stone,  written  with  the  finger  of  God."  "And 
the  tables  were  the  work  of  God,  and  the  writing  was 
the  writing  of  God,  graven  upon  the  tables."  The 
account  of  the  giving  of  the  decalogue  emphasizes  the 
extraordinary  presence  and  authority  of  God.  "There 
were  thunders  and  lightnings  and  a  thick  cloud  upon 


Authority  for  the  Sabbath  11 

the  Mount,  and  the  voice  of  the  trumpet  exceeding 
loud.  And  Mount  Sinai  was  all  together  on  a  smoke, 
because  the  Lord  descended  upon  it  in  a  fire  and  the 
smoke  thereof  ascended  as  the  smoke  of  a  furance,  and 
the  whole  Mount  quaked  greatly."  The  sublime  pres- 
ence of  God  in  giving  the  ten  commandments  mark  the 
fundamental  character  of  the  precepts  given.  They  are 
God's  law  to  man.  They  embody  all  our  duty  to  God 
and  to  our  fellowman.  Nothing  is  left  out  and  nothing 
in  them  is  unnecessary.  Many  phases  of  duty  are  under 
each  command.  All  rulers  have  laws  for  the  govern- 
ment of  their  subjects.  These  are  the  laws  for  the 
Creator's  servants. 

The  ten  commandments  are  perpetual.  They  are 
for  all  people  in  all  ages.  They  are  not  for  one  people 
or  for  one  age;  but  they  are  the  precepts  that  never 
change.  Outward  conditions  change,  but  the  duties 
imposed  by  these  laws  never  change.  There  never  was 
a  time  when  it  was  not  wrong  to  steal  and  there  never 
will  be.  Murder  was  always  wrong  and  there  never 
can  come  a  time  when  the  relations  of  duty  to  our  fel- 
lowman will  so  change  as  to  make  murder  right,  that  is 
contemplated,  malicious  murder.  The  nervous  system 
built  into  man  is  the  same  forever;  it  will  grow  weary 
with  seven-day  toil  now  as  ever  and  there  never  was  a 
time  when  people  did  not  drift  away  from  God  and 
righteousness  without  a  Sabbath.  In  Psalm  148:6,  we 
read,  "He  hath  also  established  them  forever  and  ever. 


22     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

He  hath  made  a  decree  which  shall  not  pass."  These 
commandments  are  unchangeable  because  God  is  un- 
changeable and  the  nature  of  man  is  unchangeable.  "Be- 
fore the  mountains  were  brought  forth,  or  ever  thou 
hadst  formed  the  earth  and  the  world,  even  from  ever- 
lasting to  everlasting,  thou  art  God."  "He  is  the  same 
yesterday,  today  and  forever."  "With  whom  is  no 
variableness  or  shadow  of  turning." 

Not  only  is  God  the  same  for  ever,  but  man  is  un- 
changeable in  the  relations  and  duties  which  the  ten 
commandments  define.  A  chart  exhibiting  the  anatomy 
of  the  circulatory  system  of  man  in  the  days  of  Noah, 
if  correct,  would  be  as  reliable  for  the  surgeon  today. 
The  arteries  and  veins  were  located  the  same  and  car- 
ried the  blood  to  the  parts  of  the  body.  The  heart 
has  always  been  constructed  as  it  is  found  today  and 
has  performed  the  same  work  of  forcing  the  blood 
through  the  body.  The  nervous  system  communicates 
sensation  and  vital  energy  just  the  same  today  as  in  the 
ages  of  the  past.  The  nerve  cells  have  vital  energy  in- 
creased by  rest  and  diminished  by  fatigue  just  the  same 
today  as  when  God  gave  the  decalogue  on  Sinai.  The 
muscles  and  the  bones  have  similar  elements  in  their 
structure  and  perform  the  same  office.  There  is  the 
same  demand  for  food  as  ever,  and  no  change  has  taken 
place  in  the  necessity  for  honest  labor,  the  right  to 
property,  the  wrong  of  theft.  Honesty  and  truth  is  for 
the  welfare  of  society  today  just  as  they  have  always 


Authority  for  the  Sabbath  23 

been. 

The  soul  of  man  was  the  same  through  the  genera- 
tions of  the  past  as  today.  Man  has  always  had  affec- 
tions and  ambitions  and  responsibilities  which  are  prop- 
erly directed  by  the  ten  commandments.  Love  to  God, 
reverence  for  Him  and  worship  of  God  is  expressed  by 
the  first  three  commandments.  There  is  the  same  need 
of  guarding  these  immutable  relations  and  duties,  and 
taking  time  for  moral  and  spiritual  development  of  the 
soul.  Cain  envied  Abel;  Saul  envied  David;  the  rul- 
ers of  the  Jews  envied  Christ;  we  find  the  same  thing 
today.  The  soul  of  man  is  as  fixed  as  the  body.  God 
is  the  same  to  us  and  we  are  the  same  to  Him.  Love 
to  God  is  as  essential  as  it  always  has  been;  reverence 
for  things  sacred  is  the  same;  faith  is  the  same.  One 
day  in  seven  for  rest  and  worship  is  the  same  since 
the  beginning  of  the  world,  because  God  is  the  same, 
and  man  is  the  same;  and  the  relations  between  God 
and  man  stand  unchanged.  The  nervous  system  de- 
mands rest,  for  it  has  ever  been  made  that  way;  the 
soul  owes  it  always  to  give  thanks  to  the  Creator  and 
Savior,  and  take  a  day  in  seven  to  worship  Him,  and  to 
be  free  from  labor  to  give  time  and  attention  that  we 
may  guard  these  sacred  relations.  The  ten  command- 
ments which  define  these  fixed  relations  and  duties  be- 
tween the  unchangeable  God  and  man  must  be  un- 
changeable. 

The  Gospel  dispensation  did  not  set  aside  the  ten 


24     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

commandments.  The  sacrifices  which  pointed  forward 
to  Christ,  the  Lamb  without  spot,  slain  once  for  all  for 
the  sin  of  the  world,  these  sacrifices  were  set  aside,  and 
the  ceremonial  rites,  but  not  the  ten  commandments. 
Jesus  said  ''Think  not  that  I  am  come  to  destroy  the 
law  or  the  prophets;  I  am  not  come  to  destroy  but  to 
fulfill.  For  verily  I  say  unto  you,  Till  heaven  and 
earth  pass,  one  jot  or  one  tittle  shall  in  no  wise  pass 
from  the  law  till  all  be  fulfilled."  He  follows  this 
statement  in  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  by  quoting  from 
the  decalogue.  He  confirmed  the  commandment  when 
He  said,  "I  say  unto  you,  He  that  is  angry  with  his 
brother  without  a  cause"  is  guilty.  "Do  we  make  void 
the  law  through  faith?  God  forbid:  yea,  we  establish 
the  law."  Rom.  4:31.  "Christ  is  the  end  of  the  law 
for  righteousness  to  every  one  that  believeth."  Rom. 
10:4.  "It  is  easier  for  heaven  and  earth  to  pass  than 
for  one  tittle  of  the  law  to  fail,"  said  Christ.  The 
word  of  our  God  shall  stand  for  ever.  When  the  na- 
ture of  man  is  unchangeable  and  God  is  immutable  and 
the  relations  between  God  and  man  stand  the  same, 
how  can  we  expect  the  ten  commandments,  which  define 
our  duties  in  these  relations,  to  pass  away?  Therefore 
the  fourth  commandment  of  the  decalogue,  the  longest 
command  of  the  ten,  the  central  command,  the  key- 
stone of  the  arch  which  supports  us  in  our  happy  rela- 
tions to  God  and  to  man,  must  stand  forever. 

The  words  and  example  of  Jesus  give  us  authority 


Authority  for  the  Sabbath  25 

for  the  Sabbath.  When  he  said  "the  Sabbath  was 
made  for  man,  and  not  man  for  the  Sabbath,"  and 
"The  Son  of  Man  is  Lord,  also,  of  the  Sabbath,"  He 
acknowledged  the  Sabbath.  He  observed  the  day  with 
sacred  regard.  We  read  Luke  4:16,  "He  entered,  as 
His  custom  was,  into  the  synagogue  on  the  Sabbath 
day."  This  was  spoken  of  him  when  at  Nazareth, 
where  He  was  brought  up.  We  do  not  find  a  single 
statement  recorded  in  which  Christ  denied  the  author- 
ity of  the  Sabbath  or  that  it  was  set  aside.  He  was 
accused  by  the  envious  rulers  who  had  lost  the  spirit 
of  religion,  of  breaking  the  Sabbath  by  healing  on  the 
Sabbath  and  by  plucking  the  corn.  But  we  do  not 
understand  these  acts  to  be  a  violation  of  the  fourth 
commandment.  He  never  went  after  those  to  be 
healed  on  that  day.  There  are  seven  accounts  of  Christ 
healing  on  the  Sabbath,  and  all  these  cases  were  brought 
to  Him  or  w^re  in  his  presence  as  He  worshipped  and 
taught.  In  no  case  did  he  go  out  on  a  journey  to  seek 
and  heal  on  the  Sabbath.  When  He  was  teaching  on 
the  Sabbath  in  Capernaum  in  the  synagogue  there  was 
a  man  "with  an  unclean  spirit;  and  he  cried  out,  say- 
ing, what  have  we  to  do  with  thee,  thou  Jesus  of  Naz- 
areth."   Jesus  healed  him. 

The  second  miracle  of  Jesus  on  the  Sabbath  was 
immediately  after  the  miracle  in  the  synagogue.  He 
w^ent  to  Simon  Peter's  home.  "They  besought  Him 
for  her.     And   He  stood  over  her,  and  rebuked  the 


26     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

fever;  and  it  left  her."  The  remainder  of  the  Sabbath 
was  spent  in  quiet,  until  the  time  of  its  observance  w^as 
past. 

The  third  miracle  w^hich  Jesus  did  on  the  Sabbath 
was  in  the  synagogue.  In  the  presence  of  the  impotent 
man  they  asked  him,  saying.  Is  it  lawful  to  heal  on  the 
Sabbath  day?  that  they  might  accuse  Him.  And  He 
said  unto  them,  "What  man  shall  there  be  of  you,  that 
shall  have  one  sheep,  and  if  this  fall  into  a  pit  on  the 
Sabbath  day,  will  he  not  lay  hold  on  it  and  lift  it  out? 
How  much  more  value  then  is  a  man  than  a  sheep? 
Wherefore  it  is  lawful  to  do  good  on  the  Sabbath  day." 
He  answered  their  inquiry  and  their  accusation  by  heal- 
ing the  withered  hand.     Mark  3:1-5. 

The  fourth  miracle  which  He  did  on  the  Sabbath 
was,  also,  in  the  synagogue.  A  woman  was  in  the  syna- 
gogue who  **was  bowed  together,  and  could  in  no  wise 
lift  herself  up.  And  when  Jesus  saw  her  He  called 
her,  and  said  to  her.  Woman,  thou  art  loosed  from 
thine  infirmity.  And  He  laid  His  hands  on  her;  and 
immediately  she  was  made  straight,  and  glorified  God. 
And  the  ruler  of  the  synagogue,  being  moved  with  in- 
dignation because  Jesus  had  healed  on  the  Sabbath." 
Jesus  defended  His  act  by  saying,  "Ye  hypocrites,  doth 
not  each  one  of  you  on  the  Sabbath  loose  his  ox  or  his 
ass  from  the  stall  and  lead  him  away  to  watering?  And 
ought  not  this  woman,  being  a  daughter,  whom  satan 
had  bound,  lo,  these  eighteen  years,  to  have  been  loosed 


Authority  for  the  Sabbath  27 

from  this  bond  on  the  day  of  the  Sabbath?" 

The  fifth  miracle  which  Jesus  did  on  the  Sab- 
bath was  when  He  went  into  the  house  of  a  ruler  of  the 
Pharisees  to  eat  bread.  "And  there  was  before  Him 
a  certain  man  which  had  the  dropsy."  They  were 
watching  Him.  He  asked  them,  as  they  watched  for 
His  miracle.  "Is  it  lawful  to  heal  on  the  Sabbath  or 
liot?"  He  healed  the  man  before  them  and  defended 
his  act  with  a  similar  statement  that  He  had  made  be- 
fore, "Which  of  you  shall  have  an  ox  or  an  ass  fallen 
into  a  well,  and  will  not  straightway  draw  him  up  on 
a  Sabbath  day?" 

The  sixth  miracle  done  on  the  Sabbath  was  healing 
the  man  who  had  been  thirty-eight  years  in  infirmity, 
and  was  at  the  pool  of  Bethesda.  The  seventh,  was  the 
healing  of  the  blind  man,  when  they  asked  Him  as  they 
passed  by,  "Who  did  sin,  this  man  or  his  parents,  that 
he  was  born  blind  ?"  Jesus  healed  him  by  anointing  his 
eyes  wnth  clay  and  asking  him  to  wash  in  the  pool. 

These  miracles  of  Jesus  and  these  statements  in  de- 
fense of  His  acts  of  healing  on  the  Sabbath,  have  been 
used  by  many  to  indicate  that  Jesus  did  not  keep  the 
Sabbath.  And  the  accusation  of  the  envious  rulers 
against  Jesus  have  been  held  up  as  accusations  against 
those  who  keep  the  Sabbath  today.  But  a  careful  read- 
ing of  these  accounts  will  show  that  Jesus  did  not  vio- 
late the  Sabbath  by  His  acts  of  healing.  There  should 
not  be  considered  anything  wrong  in  such  acts  on  the 


28     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

Lord's  Day.  And  when  Jesus  said,  "Is  it  lawful  to  do 
good  or  to  do  evil  ?  Is  it  lawful  to  lift  the  ox  out  of  the 
pit  on  the  Sabbath  day?"  There  is  nothing  in  His 
words  intended  to  set  aside  the  Day  of  rest  and  wor- 
ship. He  evidently  never  intended  to  say  that  the  fourth 
commandment  was  not  to  be  observed,  but  approved  of 
it  by  obeying  the  Sabbath  and  by  stating  that  "the  Sab- 
bath was  made  for  man,"  and,  "The  Son  of  Man  is 
Lord  of  the  Sabbath."  Fair  minded  people  see  noth- 
ing inconsistent  in  healing  the  sick  as  Jesus  did  on  the 
Sabbath.  It  was  doing  good ;  it  was  proving  the  divine 
power  and  mission  of  the  Savior;  it  was  extending  the 
Kingdom  of  the  Master.  Of  all  the  miracles  Jesus  did, 
only  these  seven  were  done  on  the  Sabbath,  and  these  in 
connection  with  his  worship  and  teaching.  He  never 
continued  his  journeys  on  the  Sabbath,  but  always  went 
to  the  place  of  worship.  These  acts  of  healing  were  the 
only  accusations  that  the  prejudiced  rulers,  watchful  of 
any  acts  of  transgression  in  Him,  could  make  in  His 
disregard  for  the  fourth  commandment.  Neither 
should  any  inconsistency  be  charged  against  the  disci- 
ples for  "plucking  the  ears  of  corn,"  on  the  Sabbath, 
when  they  were  hungry. 

Authority  for  the  Sabbath  is  found  in  numerous  other 
passages  of  Scripture.  From  Genesis  to  Revelation  we 
find  reference  to  it.  Neither  the  Old  Testament  nor 
the  New  lose  sight  of  the  fourth  commandment.  After 
the  resurrection  of  Christ  "Sabbaton,"  the  Greek  word 


Authority  for  the  Sabbath  29 

for  Sabbath,  is  always  used  when  the  first  day  of  the 
week  is  referred  to,  and  John  in  the  closing  book  of  the 
Revelation,  refers  to  it  as  the  ''Lord's  Day."  Only  a 
few  of  these  passages  need  be  referred  to. 

''Six  days  shall  work  be  done;  but  on  the  seventh 
day  is  a  Sabbath  of  solemn  rest,  holy  to  the  Lord ;  who- 
soever doeth  any  work  in  the  Sabbath  day,  he  shall 
surely  be  put  to  death.  Wherefore  the  children  of 
Israel  shall  keep  the  Sabbath,  to  observe  the  Sabbath 
throughout  their  generations,  for  a  perpetual  covenant. 
It  is  a  sign  between  me  and  the  children  of  Israel  for 
ever;  for  in  six  days  the  Lord  made  heaven  and  earth, 
and  on  the  seventh  day  He  was  refreshed."  Ex.  31: 
14-17.  The  perpetual  nature  of  the  Sabbath  is  refer- 
red to  in  this  passage,  as  well  as  the  sacred  character 
of  the  day. 

The  beasts  that  serve  us  need  the  weekly  day  of  rest 
as  well  as  man.  "Six  days  thou  shalt  do  thy  work,  and 
on  the  seventh  day  thou  shalt  rest;  that  thine  ox  and 
thine  ass  may  have  rest,  and  the  son  of  thy  handmaid 
and  the  stranger,  may  be  refreshed."     Ex.  23:12. 

Some  may  think  this  law  may  be  set  aside  in  a  busy 
season  or  for  other  interests.  There  are  works  of  neces- 
sity, but  the  rest  day  was  urged  in  "earing  time  and  in 
harvest.  Six  days  thou  shalt  work,  but  on  the  seventh 
thou  shalt  rest ;  in  earing  time  and  in  harvest  thou  shalt 
rest."    Ex.  34:21. 

The  sacred  character  and  uses  of  the  day  is  empha- 


30     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

sized.  "Ye  shall  keep  my  Sabbaths  and  reverence  my 
sanctuary,"  Lev.  19:30  and  26:2.  "If  thou  turn  away 
thy  foot  from  the  Sabbath,  from  doing  thy  pleasure  on 
my  holy  day;  and  call  the  Sabbath  a  delight,  and  the 
holy  of  the  Lord,  honorable;  and  shalt  honor  it,  not 
doing  thine  own  ways,  nor  finding  thine  own  pleasure, 
nor  speaking  thine  own  words:  then  shalt  thou  delight 
thyself  in  the  Lord ;  and  I  will  make  thee  to  ride  upon 
the  high  places  of  the  earth ;  and  I  will  feed  thee  with 
the  heritage  of  Jacob,  thy  father :  for  the  mouth  of  the 
Lord  hath  spoken."  Isa.  58:13,  14.  "Her  priests  have 
done  violence  to  my  law,  and  have  profaned  mine  holy 
things:  they  have  put  no  difference  between  the  holy 
and  the  common,  neither  have  they  caused  men  to  dis- 
cern between  the  unclean  and  the  clean,  and  have  hid 
their  eyes  from  my  Sabbaths,  and  I  am  profaned  among 
them."    Ezek.  22:26. 

Blessing  and  protection  is  promised  to  those  who  keep 
the  Sabbath.  "It  shall  come  to  pass,  if  ye  diligently 
hearken  unto  me,  saith  the  Lord,  to  bring  in  no  burden 
through  the  gates  of  this  city  on  the  Sabbath  day,  but 
to  hallow  the  Sabbath  day,  to  do  no  work  therein ;  then 
shall  there  enter  in  by  the  gates  of  this  city  kings  and 
princes  sitting  upon  the  throne  of  David,  riding  upon 
chariots  and  horses,  and  this  city  shall  remain  forever." 
"Blessed  is  the  man  that  keepeth  the  Sabbath  from 
profaning  it."     Isa.  66:2.     See  also  verses  6  and  7. 

The  judgment  of  God,  is  likewise  declared,  against 


Authority  for  the  Sabbath  3 1 

those  who  transgress  the  fourth  commandment.  "If 
ye  will  not  hearken  unto  me  to  hallow  the  Sabbath 
day;  then  will  I  kindle  a  fire  in  the  gates  of  Jerusalem 
and  it  shall  devour  the  palaces  thereof,  and  it  shall  not 
be  quenched."  Jer.  17:26,  27.  Because  Israel  pro- 
faned the  Sabbath  they  were  scattered  and  humbled. 
''My  Sabbaths  they  greatly  profaned:  then  I  said  I 
would  pour  out  my  fury  upon  them  in  the  wilderness, 
to  consume  them."  "I  lifted  up  mine  hand  unto  them 
in  the  wilderness,  that  I  would  scatter  them  among  the 
nations,  and  disperse  them  through  the  countries  be- 
cause they  have  not  executed  my  judgments,  but  have 
rejected  my  statutes  and  have  profaned  my  Sabbaths." 
Ezek.  20.  Nehemiah  wrote  in  Chapter  13:17,  18,  ''I 
contended  with  the  nobles  of  Judah,  and  said  unto 
them,  What  evil  thing  is  this  that  ye  do  and  profane 
the  Sabbath  day?  Did  not  our  fathers  thus,  and  did 
not  God  bring  all  this  evil  upon  us,  and  upon  this  city? 
yet  ye  bring  more  wrath  upon  Israel  by  profaning  the 
Sabbath." 

The  day  was  called  The  Lord's  Day,  and  was  ob- 
served and  called  "The  first  day  of  the  week,"  by  the 
apostles  after  the  resurrection  of  Christ.  Acts.  20:7. 
"Upon  the  first  day  of  the  week  (Greek  Sabbaton) 
when  the  disciples  came  together  to  break  bread,  Paul 
preached  unto  them,  ready  to  depart  on  the  morrow." 
"Now  concerning  the  collection  for  the  saints,  as  I  have 
given  orders  for  the  churches  of  Galatia,  even  so  do  ye. 


32     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

Upon  the  first  day  of  the  week  (Greek  word  Sabbaton 
used)  let  every  one  of  you  lay  by  him  in  store,  as  God 
hath  prospered  him  that  there  be  no  gatherings  when  I 
come."  I  Cor.  i6:i,  2.  John  wrote  the  book  of  Rev- 
elation a  generation  after  Christian  work  and  customs 
had  been  established  and  he  mentions  "The  Lord's 
Day"  in  Rev.  i,  lO.  ''I  was  in  the  Spirit  on  the  Lord's 
Day,  and  heard  behind  a  great  voice." 

Too  little  stress  is  placed  upon  the  fact  that  the  first 
day  of  the  week  is  called  "Sabbath,"  by  the  Scriptures 
each  time  it  is  referred  to,  after  the  resurrection  of 
Christ.  Some  of  the  passages  may  be  quoted  in  which 
"the  first  day  of  the  week,"  is  called  Sabbath  in  the 
Scriptures,  the  same  Greek  word  that  is  used  to  refer 
to  the  seventh  day  of  the  week  before  the  resurrection 
of  Christ.  Matt.  28:1.  "In  the  end  of  the  Sabbath, 
as  it  began  to  dawn  toward  the  'first  day  of  the  week,' 
came  Mary  Magdalene."  The  seventh  day  and  the 
first  day  of  the  week  are  both  referred  to  in  this  verse, 
and  both  are  referred  to  by  the  same  word,  "Sabbaton." 
There  can  be  no  other  translation  literally  given  than, 
"In  the  end  of  the  Sabbaths,  (The  Old  Testament 
Sabbaths)  as  it  began  to  dawn  toward  the  first  of  the 
Sabbaths  (The  first  of  the  Sabbaths  under  Christ's 
completed  work),  came  Mary  Magdalene."  There  are 
reasons  why  the  translators  rendered  the  second  "Sab- 
baton," the  first  day  of  the  week.  It  evidently  was  to 
make  clear  that  it  was  not  the  seventh  day  Sabbath. 


Authority  for  the  Sabbath  33 

The  Gospel  by  Mark  uses  the  same  word,  "Sabbaton," 
In  referring  to  the  first  Christian  Sabbath.  Mark 
16:2,  **Very  early  in  the  morning  'The  first  day  of  the 
week,'  they  came  unto  the  sepulchre."  The  statement 
given  by  the  Holy  Spirit  is.  "Very  early,  on  the  first 
of  the  Sabbaths,  they  came  to  the  sepulchre."  Luke 
uses  the  same  word,  Sabbaton,  "first  of  the  Sabbaths," 
Luke  24:1,  also  John,  20:19,  in  referring  to  the  first 
day  of  the  week  after  the  resurrection.  The  reading 
of  these  statements  conveys  to  the  reader  a  very  slight 
impression.  The  use  of  the  word  referring  to  the  Sab- 
bath in  the  Scriptures  must  be  studied  carefully  to  un- 
derstand that  the  first  day  of  the  week  is  the  Sabbath, 
by  divine  authority. 

As  some  say  the  fourth  commandment  is  not  binding 
upon  us  because  Christ  healed  on  the  Sabbath  day,  and 
from  His  words  of  defense,  that  we  should  lift  the  ox 
out  of  the  pit  on  the  Sabbath;  there  are  others  who 
would  construe  three  statements  made  by  Paul,  con- 
cerning certain  customs  that  arose  in  his  day,  as  mean- 
ing that  the  fourth  commandment  is  no  longer  binding 
upon  us.  His  statement  in  Rom.  14:5,  6,  has  been  so 
construed.  "One  man  esteemeth  one  day  above  an- 
other; another  esteemeth  every  day  alike.  He  that 
regardeth  the  day,  regardeth  it  unto  the  Lord;  and  he 
that  regardeth  not  the  day,  to  the  Lord  he  doth  not 
regard  it.  He  that  eateth,  eateth  to  the  Lord."  The 
apostle  is  not  writing  about  the  Sabbath  in  this  chapter. 


34     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

There  is  not  a  word  in  the  chapter  about  the  decalogue, 
or  about  the  Sabbath  as  a  divine  institution.  He  is 
writing  about  certain  customs  and  ceremonies  observed 
by  some  and  not  observed  by  others.  He  was  w^riting 
about  matters  of  conscience  in  eating  meats.  Today 
some  give  special  reverence  to  Good  Friday,  Lent, 
Ascension  Day,  Easter,  Christmas,  while  others  in  the 
Christian  Faith  esteem  every  day  alike  in  respect  to 
these  days.  But  there  is  nothing  for  or  against  the 
fourth  commandment  in  this  passage. 

Paul's  similar  reproof  to  the  Galatians,  Gal.  4:8-10, 
has  encouraged  some  to  think  lightly  of  the  decalogue, 
especially  the  fourth  commandment.  A  study  of  the 
meaning  intended  will  easily  satisfy  anyone  that  the 
Sabbath  is  not  set  aside  by  Paul's  statement.  "When 
ye  knew  not  God,  ye  did  service  unto  them  which  by 
nature  are  no  gods.  But  now,  after  that  ye  have 
known  God,  or  rather  are  known  of  God,  how  turn  ye 
again  to  the  weak  and  beggardly  elements,  whereunto 
ye  desire  again  to  be  in  bondage?  Ye  observe  days, 
and  months,  and  times  and  years."  Galatians  was  writ- 
ten to  overcome  certain  Judaistic  teachings.  Some  had 
taught  them,  "Except  ye  be  circumcised  ye  cannot  be 
saved."  Other  ceremonial  rites,  heathen  and  Jewish, 
were  practiced  by  the  Galatian  Christians.  Some  had 
been  heathen  idolaters,  and  were  carrying  their  pagan 
observance  of  days  and  anniversaries,  which  they  ob- 
served, "When  ye  knew  not  God."    It  was  not  easy  for 


Authority  for  the  Sabbath  35 

them  to  give  up  their  former  ceremonies.  In  Esther 
3:7,  we  read  of  them  observing  "days  and  months  and 
times  and  years."  "In  the  first  month,  vf\vic\i  is  the 
month  Nisan,  in  the  twelfth  year  of  king  Ahasuerus, 
they  cast  pur,  that  is,  the  lot,  before  Haman  from  day 
to  day,  and  from  month  to  month,  to  the  twelfth  month, 
which  is  the  month  Adar."  They  had  "stargazers  and 
monthly  prognosticators,"  and  heathen  and  Jewish  fes- 
tivals, which  they  were  placing  with  equal  sacredness 
with  the  appointments  of  the  Gospel.  In  denouncing 
these  Paul  never  thought  of  the  decalogues  or  the  Chris- 
tian  Sabbath. 

The  only  other  passage  so  far  as  we  know,  that  any 
have  thought  of,  in  this  connection,  is  Colossians  2:16; 
in  which  Paul  wrote  of  precisely  the  same  controversy 
to  the  Colossians  that  was  troubling  the  Romans  and 
Galatians,  referred  to  in  the  previous  passages.  "Let  no 
man  judge  you,  therefore,  in  meat,  or  in  drink,  or  in  re- 
spect of  an  holy  day,  or  of  the  new  moon,  or  of  the 
Sabbath  day."  There  were  more  than  one  hundred 
traditions  regarding  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath.  The 
Pharisees  and  rulers  of  the  Jews  troubled  Jesus  about 
these  meaningless  forms  in  Sabbath  observance.  The 
Jews  continued  to  observe  the  seventh  day  as  the  Sab- 
bath and  the  Christians  observed  the  first  day  of  the 
week.  More  than  a  century  later  TertuUian  wrote  of 
the  controversy  that  was  still  on  about  the  Sabbath. 
He  wrote,  "We  keep  the  first  day  of  the  week  instead 


36     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

of  the  seventh,  because  our  Lord  rose  from  the  dead  on 
that  day."  All  that  Paul  advised  in  this  statement  w^as, 
"Let  no  man  judge  you,"  in  these  things.  If  they  had 
a  good  conscience  and  followed  it  they  should  do  vv^ell, 
in  all  the  controversy  about  them,  what  they  thought 
best  they  should  do. 

There  is  a  difference  between  the  ceremonial  observ- 
ances, which  were  connected  with  the  sacrifices,  typi- 
fying Christ  to  come,  and  the  ten  commandments.  The 
first  were  to  pass  away  when  Christ  offered  Himself, 
once  for  all.  The  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  makes  plain 
what  was  to  pass  away  and  what  did  not  pass  away 
with  the  offering  of  Christ.  But  let  us  not  be  deceived 
into  thinking  that  the  ten  commandments  were  a  part 
of  the  ceremonial  law  that  ceased  to  be  required  of  us 
when  Jesus  gave  His  life  as  a  sacrifice  for  our  sins. 

No  one  can  think  for  a  moment  that  these  incidental 
statements  of  Paul  concerning  the  controversy  in  the 
early  church  about  the  ceremonial  law  and  the  customs 
of  the  times,  were  intended  to  set  aside  the  Sabbath. 
Our  authority  for  the  Sabbath  and  the  decalogue  is  the 
most  substantial  possible.  It  is  in  the  plan  of  creation  ; 
it  is  in  the  Word  of  God ;  in  the  thunders  of  Sinai ;  in 
the  tables  of  stone.  We  have  authority  for  the  Sabbath 
in  the  godly  character  and  Faith  of  those  who  have 
observed  it,  and  from  the  absence  of  these  qualities  in 
those  who  have  not  kept  the  Sabbath;  from  the  ex- 
ample of  Jesus,  and  from  His  teachings,  that  the  Sab- 


Authority  for  the  Sabbath  37 

bath  was  made  for  man,  and  that  it  was  easier  for  heaven 
and  earth  to  pass  than  for  one  tittle  of  the  law  to  fail. 
It  is  written  in  the  hearts  of  the  people  of  God,  and 
inscribed  in  the  physical  being  of  the  race.  Paul,  who 
forbid  his  converts  from  observing  the  pagan  or  Jewish 
ceremonies,  dates  or  customs  which  were  to  pass  away, 
wrote  to  these  same  people  in  the  same  letter,  "Do  we 
make  void  the  law  through  faith?  God  forbid;  yea,  we 
establish  the  law."  "I  had  not  known  lust  except  the 
law  said,  Thou  shalt  not  covet.  .  .  .  Wherefore 
the  law  is  holy,  and  the  commandment  is  holy,  and  just 
and  good." 


CHAPTER  III 


ONE  DAY  S  REST  IN  SEVEN 


"Six  days  shalt  thou  labor  and  do  all  thy  work,  but 
the  seventh  day  is  the  Sabbath  of  the  Lord  thy  God; 
in  it  thou  shalt  not  do  any  work,  thou  nor  thy  son,  nor 
thy  daughter,  nor  thy  man  servant,  nor  thy  maid  ser- 
vant, nor  thy  cattle,  nor  thy  stranger  that  is  within  thy 
gates/' — Fourth  Commandment. 

''It  is  as  unreasonable  as  inhuman  to  work  beyond 
six  days  weekly/* — HuMBOLDT. 

''Resolved,  That  in  the  opinion  of  the  Federation  of 
Labor  there  is  no  necessity  for  Sunday  work.  The  la- 
bor people  demand,  not  as  a  privilege,  but  as  a  right, 
that  they  should  have  the  Sabbath  for  their  own  use. 
It  was  made  for  man.  Resolved,  That  we  urge  our 
members  to  continue  their  warfare  against  Sunday 
work,  remembering  that,  if  six  men  work  seven  days, 
they  do  the  same  work  of  seven  men  in  six  days;  there- 
fore, every  time  six  men  work  on  Sunday,  they  are  tak- 
ing the  bread  out  of  the  mouth  of  one  fellow  work- 
man/'— Adopted  in  National  Convention,  Dec. 
15,  1896. 

"Operatives  are  perfectly  right  in  thinking  that  if 
there  was  no  Sunday  rest,  seven  days  work  would  have 
to  be  given  for  six  days  pay/* — John  Stuart  Mills. 


38 


One  Days  Rest  In  Seven  39 

WHEN  we  consider  one  day's  rest  in  seven, 
a  subject  that  has  received  entirely  too 
little  attention,  we  must  note  the  com- 
mercial conditions,  today,  that  enter  into 
the  problem;  what  is  the  minimum  of  Sunday  labor 
in  these  conditions?  What  economic  benefits,  do  the 
facts  show,  result  from  the  six-day  plan  compared  with 
Sunday  and  seven-day  labor?  The  need  of  educating 
the  public  mind,  conscience  and  habits  in  the  observance 
of  a  day  of  rest  and  quiet;  how  much  consideration  is 
to  be  given  to  the  claims  of  a  day  of  rest  and  worship 
because  of  its  part  in  the  development  of  Christian  char- 
acter and  Faith  of  the  individual  and  of  the  children 
in  the  homes  ? 

Those  who  have  not  given  special  attention  to  this 
subject  have  but  little  impression  of  the  number  of  per- 
sons who  toil  on  Sunday  and  seven  days  each  week. 
In  a  city  of  about  35,000  population  an  effort  w^as  be- 
ing made  to  secure  a  law  for  one  day's  rest  in  seven  for 
employees,  with  certain  exceptions.  Some  said  there 
were  no  persons,  scarcely,  who  worked  seven  days  each 
week  in  that  quiet  town.  But  a  careful  estimate 
showed  that  about  three  thousand  labored  all  or  part 
of  Sundays  and  seven  days  successively.  A  large  num- 
ber of  hotels  were  in  the  city  employing  labor  Sunday 
and  seven  days,  and  at  such  times  as  to  render  church 
attendance  largely  impossible.  Public  works  of  the  city 
employed  large  numbers  in  Sunday  labor,  including  the 


4C     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

street  car  service,  electric  light  plant,  gas  plant,  post  of- 
fice and  public  officers.  Works  just  by  employed  a  few 
hundred  persons  continuously.  The  Sunday  news  pa- 
pers required  Sunday  labor  from  many  in  publishing 
and  distributing  the  papers.  A  large  number  of  team- 
sters labor  continuously.  Many  stores  were  open  on 
Sunday,  including  not  only  restaurants,  but  confection- 
eries, drug  stores  and  many  other  stores.  Many  served 
large  dinners  with  dinner  parties  on  the  Sabbath,  which 
employed,  not  only  the  regular  servants  but  additional 
help,  and  ice  cream  dealers  and  others  to  be  employed 
on  Sunday.  Many  were  employed  in  railway  service, 
dairy,  janitor,  elevator  service  and  many  other  forms 
of  employ,  while  many  labored  voluntarily  in  their  own 
secular  pursuits,  in  continuous  labor.  So  that  it  was 
found  that  about  one  person  out  of  every  twelve  was 
engaged  in  work,  at  least  part  of  the  time,  on  Sunday. 
What  portion  of  this  was  in  "the  works  of  necessity  and 
mercy,"  each  one  must  determine  for  himself. 

The  Federal  Bureau  of  Labor  made  investigations 
into  the  labor  condition  of  174,000  employees  in  the 
iron  and  steel  industry  of  the  U.  S.,  and  report  that 
of  that  number  50,000,  or  about  29  per  cent,  were  la- 
boring seven  days  a  week.  Twenty  per  cent,  of  the 
number  worked  seven  days  each  week  and  twelve  hours 
a  day. 

From  the  report  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Government 
Department  of  Commerce  and  Labor,  it  is  found  that 


One  Day's  Rest  In  Seven  4I 

from  90,000  workmen  investigated  by  the  department 
about  28  per  cent,  of  them  worked  seven  days  in  the 
week,  and  more  than  twenty  per  cent,  of  them  labored 
eighty-four  hours  per  week,  which  meant,  that  the  work- 
men labored  seven  days  a  week  and  twelve  hours  a  day. 
This  was  regarded  by  the  Secretary  as  a  condition  of 
over  work.  We  need  not  ask  if  these  people  who  are  la- 
boring in  a  steel  plant  twelve  hours  on  the  Sabbath 
day,  are  attending  to  religious  duties  in  their  homes,  or 
growing  into  the  Christian  life. 

The  state  department  of  labor  of  New  York  sent  to 
the  secretaries  of  trade  unions  asking  for  reports  of 
amount  of  seven-day  labor  among  their  members. 
Unions  with  a  membership  of  300,000,  in  New  York, 
reported  35,742  of  their  members  worked  seven  days  in 
the  wTek.  This  is  about  12  per  cent,  of  the  members  of 
labor  union  workers.  And  labor  unions  discourage  Sun- 
day labor.  A  large  amount  of  Sunday  labor  may  be 
expected  from  toilers  outside  of  these  organizations.  It 
will  be  noted,  also,  that  the  membership  reported  is 
about  28  per  cent,  of  the  wage  earners  of  the  state. 
The  Minnesota  state  bureau  of  labor  investigated  the 
condition  of  labor  in  respect  to  Sunday  work,  and  found 
that,  in  various  trades,  industries  and  occupations  in  that 
state,  98,558  persons  engaged  in  Sunday  toil.  This  is 
about  five  per  cent,  of  the  entire  population  of  the  state, 
who  are  employed  to  labor  in  Sunday  and  seven  day- 
labor.    In  one  county,  Allegheny  county,  Pennsylvania, 


42     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

it  is  reported  after  investigation,  that  14,000  persons 
are  employed  to  work  seven  days  a  v^^eek.  In  a  large 
steel  plant  in  this  country  investigation  showed  that  out 
of  9,184  men  employed,  2,628  w^orked  seven  days  a 
week.  Of  these  85  worked  over  twelve  hours  each 
day,  and  2,322  labored  twelve  hours  each  day  of  the 
week,  or  84  hours  each  week.  About  the  same  number 
of  men  worked  twelve  hours  each  day  for  six  days  of 
the  week,  or  a  total  of  4,725  men  labored  twelve  hours 
in  twenty-four,  which  was  51  per  cent,  of  those  em- 
ployed, twelve  hours  each  day  for  six  or  seven  days  a 
week.  The  writer,  in  an  endeavor  to  secure  better  Sun- 
day rest  conditions  in  one  of  the  largest  steel  plants, 
found  from  the  books  of  the  company,  that  on  the  Sab- 
bath preceding  1,120  persons  were  required  to  labor 
where  the  total  payroll  was  a  little  more  than  4,000 
persons;  which  is  about  28  per  cent,  of  seven-day  toil- 
ers, of  the  total  number  employed. 

From  these  statements  it  will  be  seen,  when  these 
estimates  were  taken,  that  in  the  steel  industry  of  our 
country,  about  28  per  cent,  of  those  employees  work  on 
the  Sabbath  day  or  seven  days  a  week  and  eight  hours 
a  day ;  and  about  20  per  cent,  labor  seven  days  a  week 
and  twelve  hours  a  day.  In  addition  to  this  there  were 
some  who  worked,  irregularly,  overtime.  And  in 
changing  shifts,  from  night  to  day  work,  some  labored 
sixteen  hours  or  more,  consecutively. 

To  show  that  all  this  Sunday  labor  is  not  necessary, 


One  Day's  Rest  In  Seven  43 

the  amount  of  Sunday  and  seven  day  labor  was  much 
greater  in  some  mills  than  the  same  kind  of  work  in 
other  mills;  and  the  amount  of  Sunday  and  seven-day 
toil  has  been  and  is  being  greatly  reduced,  with  no 
apparent  financial  loss,  but  rather,  with  better  eco- 
nomic conditions.  In  one  of  the  steel  plants  the  seven- 
day  workers  were  about  20  per  cent,  of  the  total  num- 
ber employed,  while  at  another  the  seven-day  workers 
were  from  28  to  43  per  cent,  of  the  employees.  In 
one  of  the  plants  there  was  a  full  stop  of  twenty-four 
hours  on  Sunday  of  the  rolling  mills,  and  the  open 
hearth  furnaces  were  not  operated  from  Saturday  night 
until  some  time  on  Sunday,  when  the  steel  was  heated 
for  the  rollers  to  begin  Monday  morning.  In  the  other 
plant,  no  more  successful,  the  rolling  mills  and  the  open 
hearth  furnaces  were  operated  on  Sunday  and  every 
day,  at  least  part  of  the  year.  Blast  furnaces  are  con- 
structed so  that  they  cannot  be  shut  down  on  Sunday. 
In  addition  to  the  vast  numbers  that  are  employed 
to  work  on  the  Sabbath  in  the  steel  industry,  other 
forms  of  employment  are  being  constructed  more  and 
more  without  "remembering  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep 
it  holy ;  six  days  shalt  thou  labor  and  do  all  thy  work." 
The  affairs  of  the  world  are  arranged  for  business  and 
traffic  and  society  and  pleasure  on  the  Sabbath  day. 
The  popularity  of  the  Monday  stock  market  has  built 
up  a  large  trade  in  live  stock  on  Monday,  which  means 
shipment  on  the  Sabbath.    Large  dinners,  social  events, 


44     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

excursions  on  the  Lord's  Day,  all  mean  more  labor  In 
furnishing  transportation,  foods,  baggage,  confections 
and  domestic  service.  Sunday  trains  cause  labor  from 
the  firemen,  engineers,  conductors,  brakemen,  porters, 
and  require  multitudes  to  labor  all  along  the  line  in 
meeting  the  train,  and  others  to  provide  fuels  and  other 
materials  necessary  to  run  the  train.  More  labor  is 
required  from  the  street  car  employees  on  Sunday  thai? 
on  other  days  of  the  wttk.  The  Sunday  new^spaper^ 
even  a  larger  edition  than  is  pubiished  on  other  days  of 
the  w^eek,  requires  labor  on  the  Sabbath  or  on  Saturday 
night,  and  so  interfering  w^ith  Sabbath  duties,  in  type- 
setting, press  w^ork,  composing  rooms,  distributing  and 
selling  by  trainmen,  postmen,  news  dealers  and  news 
boys.  The  public  telephone,  telegraph,  electric  light 
plants,  the  open  store  and  numerous  forms  of  Sunday 
service,  call  for  Sunday  labor.  And  Sunday  labor  calls 
away  from  religious  worship  and  spiritual  development 
on  the  day  divinely  set  apart  for  rest  and  worship.  It 
is  not  our  part  here  to  say  what  portion  of  this  work 
can  be  dispensed  with  on  the  Sabbath.  We  may  justly 
contend  that  In  all  forms  of  continuous  industry,  Sun- 
day labor  should  be  reduced  to  the  minimum,  and  the 
sacred  uses  of  the  day  be  extended  to  the  maximum. 
If  we  take  the  state  of  Minnesota  as  an  average,  as 
reported  by  the  State  Bureau  of  Labor,  five  per  cent, 
of  the  population  engaged  in  Sunday  labor,  that  would 
mean  the  enormous  portion  of  our  people  numbering 


One  Day's  Rest  In  Seven  45 

about  5,000,000  persons,  toiling  on  the  day  of  rest  and 
worship,  in  the  United  States.  When  we  consider 
what  this  means  in  the  physical,  moral  and  spiritual 
conditions  in  the  individuals  and  in  the  homes  repre- 
sented, in  the  future  years,  we  cannot  be  indifferent 
to  this  subject. 

One  of  these  men  said,  before  he  was  employed  to 
labor  on  the  Sabbath  he  went  to  church,  and  gave 
attention  to  the  development  of  his  Christian  life.  He 
was  raised  in  a  Christian  home.  His  father  and  his 
mother  were  active  church  workers,  and  brought  him 
up  to  think  of  the  better  things  of  life.  But  when  he 
began  working  on  the  Sabbath,  he  ceased  to  go  to 
church,  and  found  religious  interest  and  moral  life  de- 
clined. For  a  few  years  he  has  been  engaged  in  Sun- 
day labor,  and  has  found  a  contrast  in  his  life,  in 
respect  to  moral  and  religious  living,  compared  with  the 
years  before  he  began  Sunday  labor.  He  was  asked 
if  there  is  not  something  wrong  about  requiring  a  man 
to  so  labor  on  the  Sabbath  day  that  he  cannot  take  care 
of  his  moral  character  and  the  salvation  of  his  soul? 
He  replied,  "WE  know  it's  wrong,  and  we  feel  it,  but 
what  can  we  do?"  It  is  for  the  American  people  to 
think  what  must  be  done,  and  to  do  it.  For  he  represents 
the  millions  of  Sunday  toilers  in  their  loss  of  moral 
and  Christian  character. 


CHAPTER  IV 

PHYSICAL    RESULTS    OF    SEVEN-DAY    LABOR 

"hi  seed  t'une  and  in  har'vest,  thou  shalt  rest." — 
Bible. 

"Our  company  does  not  consider  favorably  the  ap- 
plication of  a  person  who  works  continuously." — Pres- 
ident Life  Insurance  Company. 

"I  believe  the  institution  of  the  Sabbath  is  one  of  the 
j^reatest  benefits  the  human  race  ever  had.  I  believe 
in  the  strict  enforcement  of  the  law  that  prevents  servile 
labor  bing  carried  on  on  the  seventh  day." — Henry 
George. 

BACK  of  the  appeal  for  Sunday  rest,  or  for 
one  day's  rest  in  seven,  is  the  physical  neces- 
sity. When  man  was  made  for  six  days  work 
and  a  day  of  rest  then  continuous  labor  must 
do  him  harm.  An  investigation  into  the  structure  of 
the  nervous  system,  and  its  relations  to  the  healthy 
action  of  the  other  parts  of  the  body,  makes  clear  the 
necessity  of  a  day  of  rest  from  the  regular  efforts  of 
the  week. 

The  nervous  system  directs  and  controls  the  differ- 
ent organs  of  the  body.  Vigorous  action  of  the  organs 
depends  upon  the  nerves.  If  the  vitality  of  the  nerves 
runs  low  the  action  of  the  organs  of  the  body  is  weak; 

46 


Physical  Results  of  Seven-Day  Labor  47 

and  if  the  nerves  are  full  of  vitality  the  virork  done  by 
the  functions  of  the  body  is  vigorous  and  complete. 

Each  nerve  cell  is  capable  of  expansion  or  contrac- 
tion, according  to  amount  of  vitality.  Scientific  inves- 
tigations have  shown  that  after  rest  brains  cells  have 
certain  size  and  configuration.  After  long  nervous 
strain  and  stimulation,  cells  are  shrunken;  borders  of 
cell  become  irregular ;  the  nuclei  become  reduced.  The 
nuclei,  an  oval  substance  within  the  nerve  cell,  are 
reduced  sometimes  as  much  as  fifty  per  cent,  after  a 
few  hours  labor.  The  fresh  supply  of  daily  created 
energy  gives  out  when  you  have  worked  so  much,  and 
if  work  is  continued  after  the  created  energy  has  be- 
come exhausted,  then  the  reserve  force  is  borrowed 
from.  After  complete  rest  the  nuclei  and  cell  are  re- 
stored to  normal  size.  You  look  upon  the  face  of  one 
and  see  the  marks  of  weariness.  The  sunken  cheek, 
the  dull  eye  and  nervous  action  tell  of  nervous  exhaus- 
tion. It  is  the  reduction  of  the  nerve  cell  which  shows 
itself  in  the  face  and  in  the  action.  It  is  the  lack  of 
vitality  and  consequent  lack  of  repair  of  the  tissues  of 
the  body.  The  muscles  quiver,  the  mind  fails  to  think 
accurately  and  easily;  the  liver  and  kidneys  and  stom- 
ach and  heart  and  lungs  and  all  the  powers  of  the  body 
fail  to  do  their  work  well.  Poison  is  thrown  back  into 
the  system  instead  of  being  carried  off.  The  skin  takes 
on  a  pallid  complexion  instead  of  the  ruddy  glow  in- 
tended by  nature.     The  worn  out  and  decaying  parti- 


48     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

cles  of  tissue  are  not  replaced  properly  with  new  cells. 
All  because  the  law  of  rest  which  our  Creator  has  com- 
manded, "Six  days  shalt  thou  labor  and  do  all  thy 
work,  but  the  seventh  day  is  the  Sabbath  of  the  Lord 
thy  God,  in  it  thou  shalt  do  no  work,"  has  been  vio- 
lated, and  the  requirements  of  rest  and  sleep  have  not 
been  fulfilled. 

The  rest  of  the  night  does  not  completely  restore  the 
nervous  system  to  its  normal  condition.  There  is  a  let- 
ting down  of  the  vitality  through  the  six  days  of  the 
week.  So  that  there  must  be  a  relaxation  for  one  entire 
day  in  seven,  that  the  nervous  energy  of  the  body  may 
recover.  Shifting  the  energies  of  the  body  is  relaxa- 
tion; unless  that  shifting  taxes  the  nervous  energies 
unduly.  Dissipation  may  weaken.  Over  stimulation 
on  the  day  of  rest  may  weaken  through  other  causes. 
The  day  spent  in  religious  devotion  is  rest. 

Experiments  made  with  a  vigorous  laboring  man 
showed  that  during  a  day  of  work  this  man  expended 
under  the  form  of  carbonic  acid  gas  192  grammes  of 
oxygen  mt)re  than  he  could  inhale  in  that  time.  And, 
further,  that  during  the  night  of  rest  and  sleep  he  in- 
haled more  oxygen  than  he  exhaled  under  the  form  of 
carbonic  acid  gas.  And  that  this  surplus  received  dur- 
ing the  night  supplied  only  in  part  the  loss  during  the 
preceding  day  of  labor.  He  did  not  recover  by  the  night 
of  rest  more  than  five-sixths  of  the  loss  of  oxygen  dur- 
ing the  day  of  work.    The  experiments  showed  a  con- 


Physical  Results  of  Seven-Day  Labor  49 

stant  loss  of  oxygen  by  the  day's  labor  in  excess  of  the 
amount  accumulated  during  the  night,  until  by  a  period 
of  rest,  the  loss  can  be  restored  to  its  normal  condition. 
To  prevent  the  depletion  of  the  necessary  amount  of 
this  vitalizing  element,  one  day  in  seven  of  rest  is  es- 
sential. 

Oxygen  is  the  vital  spark  of  the  body.  If  v^e  invite 
it  into  our  bodies  in  proper  proportion,  by  obedience  to 
nature's  laws,  it  gives  tone  and  energy  to  all  the  body. 
It  gives  vitalizing  power  into  the  blood.  It  causes  the 
food  to  become  assimilated  and  gives  strength  to  the 
body.  It  burns  out  decaying  tissues  and  helps  the  rapid 
supply  of  healthy  cells  instead.  The  lungs  carry  it  to 
the  blood  and  the  blood  distributes  it  throughout  the 
body.  The  world  is  nine-tenths  oxygen.  Its  proper 
distribution  through  the  human  system  means  health. 
But  the  seven  day  toiler  cannot  have  that  vitalizing  ele- 
ment in  proper  proportion  in  his  body;  because  he  vio- 
lates the  law  of  rest  by  which  it  is  obtained.  It  Is 
necessary  to  have  a  regular  and  complete  day  of  relaxa- 
tion each  week.  Nothing  can  take  the  place  of  one 
day  of  rest  in  seven.  Nothing  can  supply  its  place.  A 
celebrated  physician  has  said  that,  "The  proper  rest  of 
one  day  in  seven  will  increase  by  seven  years,  the  dura- 
tion of  a  life  of  fifty  years."  What  healthy  nerve  cells 
are  in  imparting  vitalizing  activities  to  the  functions 
of  the  body,  the  proper  supply  of  oxygen  is,  in  trans- 
forming food,  water  and  air  into  nourishment  for  sup- 


50     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

plying  healthy  blood,  tissue  and  energy. 

Dr.  A.  Haegler,  of  Basle,  Switzerland,  has  given 
much  study  and  investigation  to  the  physiological  ef- 
fects of  Sunday  rest,  and  one  day's  rest  in  seven,  and 
has  shown  the  result  of  his  investigations  of  Sunday  rest 
as  compared  with  seven  days  of  consecutive  labor,  by 
the  following  diagram : 


The  chart  indicates  how  bodily  energies  decline  by 
Sunday  labor,  and  are  restored  by  Sabbath  observance. 
We  are  weary  in  the  evening.  Sleep  restores  almost, 
but  not  entirely,  to  the  condition  of  the  morning  before. 
The  rest  of  the  six  nights  of  the  week  restores  in  part, 
but  not  completely,  the  loss  of  nerve  force,  oxygen  and 
vitality  by  the  work  of  the  six  days.  The  necessary 
oxygenation  in  the  body  falls  lower  each  day  of  the 
week ;  the  repair  of  the  tissue  is  not  complete ;  there  is 
some  fatigue  Sabbath  morning;  some  poison  has  been 
thrown  back  into  the  system;  some  damages  have  not 
been  restored.    The  Sabbath,  with  its  quiet  of  rest  and 


Physical  Results  of  Seven-Day  Labor  5I 

spiritual  refreshment,  is  necessary  for  making  repairs. 
Sunday  rest  and  worship  permit  the  nerve  cells,  which 
serve  as  a  storage  battery  for  the  body,  to  store  away  a 
supply  of  nervous  energy  required  for  the  trying  condi- 
tions of  toil  and  exposure  during  the  coming  week.  The 
day  of  rest  in  seven  gives  the  lungs,  kidneys  and  liver  a 
chance  to  clear  away  the  rubbish  that  has  accumulated 
during  the  week  of  labor.  If  the  Sabbath  is  not  ob- 
served the  rubbish  continues  to  increase  and  the  body 
declines  as  indicated  by  the  curved  lines.  But  by  the  re- 
storing rest  and  quiet  of  the  Sabbath  the  body  is  re- 
stored back  to  the  level  of  the  preceding  week. 

We  can  see  how  the  Dean  of  the  New  England 
medical  colleges  can  say,  **The  Sabbath  is  a  hygenic 
necessity."  Dr.  Calmers  said,  "I  never  knew  the  man 
who  worked  seven  days  in  the  week  without  becoming 
soon  a  wreck  in  health  or  in  fortune  or  both."  The 
celebrated  physician,  Dr.  Messier,  said,  "The  proper 
rest  of  one  day  in  seven  will  increase  by  seven  years,  the 
duration  of  a  life  of  fifty  years."  We  should  not  ques- 
tion why  God  has  placed  the  fourth  commandment  in 
the  decalogue,  ''Six  days  shalt  thou  labor  and  do  all  thy 
work,  but  the  seventh  day  is  the  Sabbath,  in  it  thou 
shalt  not  do  any  work,"  but  from  these  facts,  all  of 
which  are  from  careful  demonstrations,  we  can  see  the 
reason. 

One  can  work  eight  hours  a  day  with  no  extraordin- 
ary waste  of  vital  force.    But  one  hour  of  labor  when 


52     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

weariness  sets  in  wastes  the  vital  energies  a  certain  per 
cent.  Two  hours  of  labor  continued  under  fatigue  ex- 
hausts the  vital  forces  more  than  twice  as  much  as  one 
hour  of  labor  in  fatigue,  and  more  than  eight  hours 
labor  without  fatigue;  and  the  proportion  of  waste 
multiplies  with  the  time  of  labor  spent  in  weariness. 
The  Sabbath  of  rest  is  essential  to  prevent  the  condition 
of  fatigue. 

One  example  might  be  referred  to,  which  represents 
thousands  of  others,  who  have  suffered  from  seven 
day  labor.  He  was  for  a  number  of  years  a  merchant 
in  Colorado.  He  kept  his  store  open  every  day  of  the 
week.  For  years  he  had  not  Sunday  rest.  When  about 
forty  years  of  age  he  began  to  break  in  health;  when 
fifty  he  was  pained  much,  and  during  the  later  years  of 
his  life  he  has  suffered  much,  and  walked  about  with 
difficulty.  He  has  been  compelled  to  give  up  his  busi- 
ness, and  pay  the  penalty  for  his  thoughtless  violation 
of  the  Creator's  law,  "Six  days  shalt  thou  labor  and  do 
all  thy  work,  but  the  seventh  day  is  the  Sabbath  of  the 
Lord  thy  God."  When  anyone  is  so  thoughtless  as  to 
violate  that  law  his  health  will  give  away  somewhere. 
The  weakest  point  of  the  physical  system  will  grow 
weary  and  poison  and  destroy  the  healthy  repair  until 
the  transgressor  is  compelled  to  cease  from  work,  not 
only  on  the  Sabbath,  but  during  the  seven  days  of  the 
week,  or  make  but  feeble  effort  at  any  time. 

Tests  have  shown  that  seven-day  labor  damages  both 


Physical  Results  of  Seven-Day  Labor  53 

physical  and  mental  powers,  and  prevents  successful 
effort.  We  give  but  one  well  authenticated  example 
here.  A  man,  who  has  since  become  a  successful  busi- 
ness man,  in  his  early  manhood,  was  asked  to  work  on 
Sunday,  when  he  was  applying  for  a  position.  The 
work  was  driving  piles  for  the  construction  of  railway 
bridges.  The  young  man  said  that  he  would  like  to 
have  the  position,  but  he  could  not  labor  on  the  Sab- 
bath day;  he  was  not  brought  up  that  way  and  could 
not  conscientiously  do  it.  The  employer  said,  "Do  you 
think  we  could  let  you  off  when  all  the  others  work  on 
Sunday?"  The  young  man  replied  that  he  had  a  per- 
fect right  not  to  employ  him,  but  he  would  like  to  try 
the  position  and  put  to  the  test  the  value  of  Sunday 
rest.  And  if  his  company  of  men  did  not  do  as  much 
for  him,  without  Sunday  work  as  they  did  who  labored 
seven  days  a  week,  then  he  could  discharge  him.  He 
allowed  him  to  try  the  work,  with  a  company  of  men, 
with  no  Sunday  labor.  He  and  his  men  worked  under 
exactly  the  same  conditions  as  others  who  labored  Sun- 
day and  every  day,  but  did  no  Sunday  work.  The  re- 
sult was,  in  six  months,  by  actual  count,  the  company 
of  men  who  worked  six  days  and  rested  on  the  Sab- 
bath, drove  one  hundred  and  fourteen  more  posts  than 
the  other  company  that  labored  seven  days  each  week. 
Proving,  as  it  has  often  been  proved,  that  "The  Sab- 
bath was  made  for  man." 


CHAPTER  V 

ECONOMIC    BENEFITS    FROM    SUNDAY   REST 

"If  thou  shall  harken  diligently  unto  the  voice  of  the 
Lord  thy  God,  to  do  all  His  commandments,  .  .  . 
Blessed  shalt  be  thy  basket  and  thy  store.  .  .  . 
But,  if  thou  wilt  not  observe  to  do  all  His  command- 
ments and  His  statutes,  .  .  .  thou  shalt  not  pros- 
per in  thy  ways.'* — Deut.  28. 

"A  Sabbath  well  spent  brings  a  week  of  content. 
And  strength  for  the  toils  of  tomorrow; 
But  a  Sabbath  profaned,  whatever  is  gained. 
Is  a  certain  forerunner  of  sorrow." 

"Seven  day  workers  are  positively  poor  workers,  lack- 
ing the  vigor,  stamina  and  character  so  necessary  to  the 
maintenance  of  a  sterling  manhood  and  womanhood." 
— Samuel  Gompers,  Prcs.  American  Federation  of 
Labor. 

THERE  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  indi- 
viduals or  corporations  will  declare  larger 
dividends  and  build  up  better  conditions, 
by  the  policy  of  a  day  of  rest  in  seven  than 
by  constructing  their  plans  for  Sunday  and  seven  day 
labor.  A  certain  amount  of  Sunday  w^ork  is  necessary, 
which  is  used  as  an  excuse  for  large  amounts  of  unjus- 

54 


Economic  Benefits  from  Sunday  Rest  55 

tifiable  Sunday  work.  Sunday  and  seven  day  work 
reduced  to  the  minimum,  as  honestly  and  diligently  as 
any  other  of  the  ten  commandments  should  be  observed, 
is  the  most  profitable  policy.  The  following  facts  and 
principles  operate  in  making  it  the  only  safe  policy. 

God  created  man  for  six  days  for  labor  and  a  day  for 
rest  and  worship  each  week. 

The  nervous  system  cannot  maintain  its  normal  con- 
dition of  freedom  from  weariness,  or  its  most  produc- 
tive condition  of  activity  with  Sunday  and  seven  day 
labor. 

More  and  better  work  can  be  done  with  six  days 
labor  and  a  day  for  rest  and  worship,  than  by  seven 
days  of  consecutive  toil. 

Accidents  increase  with  Sunday  work,  and  accidents 
are  expensive. 

Contagious  disease  is  more  liable,  and  breaking  of 
health  increases  with  Sunday  work. 

Seven  day  labor  reduces  strength  and  efficiency.  Any- 
one can  think  more  clearly,  act  more  pleasantly,  strike 
harder  and  more  accurately  when  he  has  Sunday  rest. 

To  these  another  must  be  taken  into  consideration, 
which  is  not  in  the  line  of  natural  law  but  enters  into 
the  problem;  and  that  is,  Providence  honors  them 
that  honor  Him.  The  blessing  of  the  Divine  hand  is 
for  those  who  "Remember  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it 
holy." 

The  working  of  these  principles  are  invisible;  so  that 


56     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

those  who  disregard  the  law  of  Sunday  rest  do  not  see 
how  far  they  have  fallen  behind  by  so  doing.  They 
attribute  the  losses  therefrom,  to  other  causes,  and  pro- 
ceed to  explain  how  it  would  be  impossible  to  conduct 
their  business  with  success  without  Sunday  labor.  They 
often  are  not  convinced  of  the  losses  of  seven  day  work. 
We  find  many  are  not  succeeding  well  and  make  an 
effort  to  explain  how  they  could  not  succeed  at  all  if 
they  would  give  up  Sunday  labor,  while  others  are  suc- 
ceeding better  who  actually  employ  no  Sunday  labor 
in  the  same  kind  of  business. 

An  example  of  this  is  in  the  Jefferson  Furnace  Com- 
pany, which  was  owned  and  managed,  principally,  for 
a  number  of  years  by  Mr.  Hughes,  a  man  who  had 
high  respect  for  the  ten  commandments.  With  an 
increasing  business  he  did  not  employ  men  to  work  on 
the  Sabbath  day.  He  arranged  the  materials  and  fur- 
naces with  reference  to  six  day  turns,  with  no  labor  on 
the  Sabbath.  Others  in  the  same  business  in  the  same 
locality  employed  Sunday  and  seven  day  labor,  and  con- 
tended that  it  was  necessary  for  success  in  their  busi- 
ness. The  Jefferson  Furnace  Company,  with  no  Sun- 
day labor,  declared  as  large  or  larger  dividends  as  any 
other  furnace  company  in  the  vicinity  or  in  the  state. 
More  than  that,  the  other  companies  in  that  locality, 
whose  managers  explained  how  it  would  be  impossible 
to  succeed  without  Sunday  labor,  have  gone  out  of  bus- 
iness, when  Jefferson,  with  no  Sunday  labor,  won  the 


Economic  Benefits  from  Sunday  Rest  57 

business  and  succeeded.  If  the  names  of  the  firms  that 
keep  the  Sabbath  be  placed  on  one  page,  and  those 
which  do  not,  on  the  opposite  page,  the  contrast  would 
prove  the  merit  of  the  fourth  commandment. 

The  comparative  profits  from  six  and  seven  daj' 
labor  needs  careful  consideration.  It  has  not  had  ade- 
quate attention.  The  public  have  not  been  convinced 
that  seven  day  labor  is  not  profitable.  Reducing  Sun- 
day work  to  the  minimum  has  not  been  studied.  The 
average  business  manager  has  not  thought  any  more 
of  the  subject  than  that  he  can  see  work  progressing 
on  Sunday,  and  therefore,  they  are  gaining  just  that 
much.  The  invisible  losses  he  has  not  investigated; 
neither  is  he  convinced  of  the  wrong  that  is  done  against 
God  and  his  fellowmen,  thereby.  There  are  some, 
however,  who  have  been  persuaded  to  investigate.  The 
manager  of  one  of  the  departments  in  a  large  industry, 
employing  over  4,000  persons  decided  to  investigate 
how  much  loss,  as  he  supposed  it  would  be  a  loss,  that 
would  result  from  no  Sunday  work.  He  let  off  the 
employees  on  Sunday,  figuring  in  detail  the  expense 
and  profits,  compared  them  with  the  seven  day  labor, 
and  found  greater  profits  with  no  Sunday  labor  than 
with  seven  day  work.  He  thought  it  might  be  because 
of  other  conditions  that  the  better  profits  resulted,  and 
he  tried  it  again,  carefully  figuring  to  know  the  profits, 
both  by  employing  labor  seven  days  and  by  the  plan  of 
no    Sunday   labor.      The   second   experiment   resulted 


58     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

with  financial  advantage  by  the  Sunday  rest  plan.  He 
has  given  strict  orders,  that  no  labor  shall  be  done  in 
his  department  on  the  Sabbath.  It  remains  for  the 
factory  managers  and  mill  managers  and  railway  super- 
intendents who  require  their  employees  to  make  weather 
reports,  car  reports  on  Sunday  and  ship  lumber,  stone 
and  every  kind  of  imperishable  materials,  telegraph 
and  telephone  managers,  those  engaged  in  mercantile 
pursuits  and  many  others,  to  calculate  the  loss  they  are 
suffering  from  inefficiency  and  accidents  caused  by 
keeping  men  at  their  posts  of  duty  seven  days  in  the 
week. 

The  Post  Office  Department  of  our  government  made 
an  effort  by  the  petition  of  good  people  throughout  the 
country,  to  reduce  Sunday  labor.  Thirty-five  thou- 
sand persons  were  given  freedom  from  Sunday  labor  and 
about  seventy  thousand  more  had  their  Sunday  labor 
reduced.  Some,  who  had  not  investigated  the  material 
losses  from  seven  day  labor,  thought  the  change  would 
increase  the  indebtedness  of  the  Post  Office  Depart- 
ment. But  instead  of  increase  of  indebtedness,  in  less 
than  two  years  after  the  thousands  had  been  released 
from  Sunday  labor,  the  former  indebtedness  of  seven- 
teen and  one-half  millions  of  dollars  was  entirely  elim- 
inated. There  was  a  statement  from  the  Department 
that  they  had  increased  efficiency  and  economy,  "because 
the  men  had  a  better  mind  to  work."  The  federal  re- 
ports show  that  in  Belgium  there  were  less  accidents 


Economic  Benefits  from  Sunday  Rest  59 

and  fatalities  on  the  railways  of  that  country  after  their 
national  law  requiring  fifty-two  rest  days  each  year  for 
employees  went  into  effect. 

The  ministers  of  Cripple  Creek  gold  mining  district 
presented  the  following  petition  to  the  mine  owners  as- 
sociation :  "Gentlemen,  we  the  undersigned  respectfully 
and  earnestly  urge  you  to  close  your  mines  on  Sunday, 
except  such  work  as  may  be  absolutely  necessary 
for  conserving  the  properties.  And  we  beg  leave  to  sub- 
mit for  your  consideration  the  following  reasons:  i.  It 
is  a  fact  established  by  the  widest  experience  and  by 
every  possible  experiment,  that  men  need  rest  from  toil 
one  day  in  seven.  2.  It  is  also  a  fact  established  by  ex- 
perience, that  in  the  long  run,  month  in  and  month 
out,  man  will  do  as  much  or  more  work  by  laboring  six 
days  a  week  as  working  seven.  3.  Many  work  in  the 
mines  who  are  entitled  to  and  desire  the  rest  of  the  Sab- 
bath that  they  may  enjoy,  unwearied,  the  privilege  of 
divine  worship  in  the  church,  and  many  have  homes  and 
families  who  desire  and  ought  to  have  the  Sabbath  for 
rest  and  the  culture  of  home  life.  4.  Sunday  rest  is 
sanctioned  by  the  best  American  traditions,  by  the  laws 
of  the  nation  and  of  the  commonwealth  of  Colorado, 
and  by  the  Word  and  commandment  of  Almighty  God. 
5.  Sunday  rest  is  needful  for  building  up  the  moral 
tone  of  all  classes  of  society  and  of  the  workmen  no 
less  than  of  other  classes.  If  workmen  are  to  render 
faithful  service  they  must  be  built  up  in  moral  charac- 


6o     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

ter  by  every  helpful  influence.  Among  these  helpful 
influences  none  is  greater  than  the  rest  of  the  Sabbath, 
with  the  opportunity  it  brings  to  inculcate  honesty  of 
conduct  and  nobility  of  character.  But,  on  the  other 
hand,  Sunday  labor  is  an  entering  wedge  which  finally 
unsettles  all  regard  for  both  God  and  man."  In  re- 
sponse to  this  petition  the  mines  generally  closed  on  Sun- 
day for  awhile  at  least.  One  of  the  mines  which  closed 
on  Sunday  went  back  to  the  plan  of  seven  day  labor. 
The  secretaiy  of  that  mine  looked  over  the  books  some 
months  after  the  mine  was  again  working  on  Sundays, 
and  summed  up  the  amount  of  ore  that  was  shipped  per 
month  while  the  mine  was  closed  on  Sundays,  and  com- 
pared the  amounts  with  what  was  shipped  during  the 
month  of  seven  day  work.  He  found  that  more  ore 
was  shipped  when  the  mines  were  closed  on  Sunday  than 
while  engaged  in  seven  day  work.  He  reported  to  the 
manager  of  the  mine  the  result  of  his  investigation.  But 
the  men  continue  to  toil  seven  days  in  the  week,  spend- 
ing the  day  in  the  damp  mine  and  the  evenings  in  the 
foul  air  of  the  drinking  and  gaming  places. 

Years  ago,  when  the  street  cars  were  drawn  by  horses, 
experience  proved  the  wisdom  of  giving  every  horse  a 
day  of  rest  in  seven.  The  street  car  company  of  Lon- 
don found  that  they  could  get  more  service  from  the 
horses  and  the  animal  would  serve  them  longer  by  the 
divine  law  of  rest.  But  employers  of  humanity  seem  to 
be  slow  to  learn  the  financial  benefits  in  observing  that 


Economic  Benefits  from  Sunday  Rest  6l 

law.  A  street  car  conductor  in  Chicago  was  gruff  with 
the  passengers.  His  surly  spirit  brought  one  of  the 
passengers  to  remark  in  a  kind  way,  "Your  work  does 
not  seem  to  go  well,  today."  "No,"  he  replied,  "I  am 
worn  out.  I  have  not  had  a  day  of  rest  for  months." 
He  pointed  to  the  car  barns  where  the  horses  of  the 
company  were  kept,  and  said,  "I  know  that  the  two 
hundred  and  fifty  horses  that  are  kept  in  that  barn  have 
one  day  of  rest  each  week ;  for  the  company  have  found 
out  that  the  horse  will  last  longer  and  be  more  profit- 
able to  them  when  they  give  them  a  day  of  rest  each 
week;  but  we  men — "  He  shook  his  head,  and  con- 
tinued, "We  men  are  expected  to  work  Sunday  and 
every  day.  It  costs  money  to  buy  a  horse.  But  when 
we  men  play  out  they  turn  us  off  and  hire  another 
man."  But  losses  occur  from  wearing  out  the  man  by 
seven  day  toil  as  well  as  from  wearing  out  the  horses. 
The  lack  of  power  in  the  wearied  man  to  attend  to  de- 
tail, and  lack  of  good  will  caused  by  compelling  him 
or  allowing  him  to  disobey  the  Sabbath  law  renders  him 
an  unprofitable  servant. 

Accidents  and  losses  from  carelessness  figure  prom- 
inently in  causing  Sabbath  breaking  firms  to  fall  be- 
hind Sabbath  keeping  firms  in  material  success.  Acci- 
dents are  the  result  of  carelessness  somewhere.  They 
may  be  from  neglecting  complete  attention  to  orders; 
or  from  failure  to  give  orders  distinctly  in  some  detail; 
or  failure  to  estimate  the  full  importance  of  some  con- 


62     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

dftions,  and  to  provide  adequately  for  what  may  occur ; 
or  from  lack  of  moral  concern,  such  as  over-eagerness 
to  make  money,  too  low^  estimate  of  the  value  of  human 
life,  or  too  \ow  estimate  of  the  value  of  property  of 
another,  or  unfaithful  service.  Disobedience  of  the  Di- 
vine law  of  the  Sabbath  enters  prominently  into  all 
causes  of  accidents  that  may  be  named.  Losses  result 
not  so  much  from  unwillingness  to  do  as  from  lack  of 
alertness.  Fatigue  which  is  caused  from  disobedience 
to  the  fourth  commandment  brings  lack  of  acuteness 
of  attention.  Moral  qualities  which  only  can  give  prop- 
er estimate  of  the  value  of  life  and  property  of  another 
and  faithfulness  in  service,  are  dependent  upon  sacred 
uses  of  the  Sabbath.  We  need  not  wonder  that  follow- 
ing a  national  law  in  Belgium  requiring  one  day  of  rest 
in  seven,  seventeen  of  the  rest  days  to  be  on  the  Sabbath, 
each  year,  there  were  54  per  cent,  less  accidents  caus- 
ing loss  of  life  from  thoughtlessness  of  the  workmen. 

Mr.  Divan,  who  for  a  number  of  years  was  Vice 
President  of  the  Erie  Railway  Company,  and  has  occu- 
pied many  positions  from  the  lower  to  the  higher  of- 
fices, said  before  the  committee  when  the  Blair  Sunday 
rest  bill  was  before  Congress,  that  he  believed  an  en- 
gineer could  conduct  his  engine  more  safely  when  he 
had  his  Sunday  rest,  that  he  could  give  more  accurate 
attention  for  safe  service.  An  engineer  who  was  held 
responsible  for  causing  an  accident  on  the  Denver  and 
Rio  Grand  railway,  because  be  was  running  the  train 


Economic  Benefits  from  Sunday  Rest  63 

a  few  minutes  ahead  of  time,  said  to  his  friend  that  he 
did  nor  know  why  he  was  disregarding  orders.  He  was 
not  himself  aware  of  the  effect  of  his  seven  day  labor. 
We  may  imprison  employees  who  have  been  kept  at 
work  in  violation  to  the  Divine  law  of  rest  for  their 
consequent  errors  and  loss  of  life,  but  who  is  respon- 
sible? 

One  thoughtless  act  in  an  employee  caused  a  railway 
company  a  loss  of  $100,000.  If  that  amount  was  spent 
in  permitting  the  employees  to  have  a  day  of  rest  in 
seven,  or  in  eliminating  Sunday  labor,  accidents  would 
not  cause  these  losses,  as  they  now  do.  Expensive 
equipment  for  preventing  accidents  is  provided,  but 
that  will  never  take  the  place  of  repairing  the  man  by 
the  Sabbath  of  rest. 

The  economic  benefit  from  the  divine  law  of  weekly 
rest  may  be  read  from  one  of  many  similar  incidents  In 
travelers  crossing  the  plains  with  teams.  This  Incident 
was  given  by  Mr.  Majors,  who  observed  the  Sabbath 
in  his  business  in  freighting  with  ox  teams  between 
Santa  Fe  and  the  Missouri  river.  Another  in  similar 
business,  asked  Mr.  Major  at  Santa  Fe,  as  they  were 
together  there,  how  he  could  afford  to  lose  one  day 
each  week.  Mr.  Major  replied,  *'I  gain  more  by 
observing  the  Sabbath  than  you  do  by  disregarding  It." 
The  other  disputed  with  him;  but  they  both  started 
with  their  ox  teams  next  morning.  They  kept  together 
until    Sabbath    morning,    when    Mr.    Major's    teams 


64     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

camped  for  the  Sabbath,  and  the  oxen  were  turned 
out  to  graze  over  the  Sabbath.  The  others  drove  on 
Sabbath  morning.  Before  they  reached  the  Missouri 
river  Mr.  Major's  teams  passed  the  Sunday  travelers, 
and  were  loaded  and  returning  for  Santa  Fe  when  they 
met  them,  with  jaded  teams  and  drivers.  Many  days 
after  Mr.  Major  and  his  company  arrived  at  Santa  Fe 
the  seven  day  drivers  who  started  with  them  a  few- 
weeks  before,  drove  in  with  their  teams  fagged  out, 
requiring  many  weeks  of  rest  and  recuperation  before 
they  could  be  used  for  the  journey  again.  "The  Sab- 
bath was  made  for  man,"  for  his  spiritual  and  physical 
refreshment,  and  the  beasts  of  burden  come  under  the 
same  law  of  physical  benefits. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE     RELATION     OF     SABBATH     OBSERVANCE     TO     THE 
DEVELOPMENT  OF  CHRISTIAN   LIFE  AND  CHARACTER 

''The  profanation  of  the  Sabbath  is  usually  followed 
by  a  flood  of  immorality!' — Blackstone. 

"In  vain  may  we  hope  to  maintain  the  moral  char- 
acter of  a  people  without  religion," — WASHINGTON. 

"There  is  no  hope  of  destroying  the  Christian  re- 
ligion so  long  as  the  Christian  Sabbath  is  acknowledged 
and  kept  by  men  as  a  sacred  day." — Voltaire. 

WHATEVER  may  be  said  of  the  physical 
and  economic  benefits  from  observance 
of  the  divine  law  of  the  Sabbath,  another 
and  a  greater  reward  is  certain,  and  that 
is  grown  in  moral  and  religious  qualities.  Material 
interests  are  important,  but  the  salvation  of  the  soul 
must  always  be  the  foremost  necessity.  The  life  Is 
more  than  meat ;  the  soul  is  more  than  the  body ;  char- 
acter is  more  than  reputation ;  repentance,  love  to  God, 
willing  obedience  of  His  commandments,  Faith  In 
Christ  for  forgiveness  and  peace  with  God  are  ends  to 
be  sought  before  large  dividends. 

The  Sabbath  observed  Is  essential  to  the  develop- 
ment of  moral  and   Christian  character.     When   the 

65 


66     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

proper  observance  of  the  Sabbath  is  left  out  religion 
declines,  crime  and  immorality  increases  and  manifold 
distresses  follow.  No  one  can  maintain  a  Christian 
life  with  the  Sabbath  left  out  any  more  than  he  can  live 
a  Christian  life  with  the  habitual  use  of  profane 
language,  or  in  persistent  violation  of  any  other  of 
the  ten  commandments.  The  Holy  Spirit  is  quenched 
by  Sabbath  desecration  just  as  He  is  quenched  by  any 
other  disobedience.  Christ  said,  "If  ye  love  me  keep 
my  commandments,  and  I  will  pray  the  Father  and  He 
will  give  you  another  Comforter,  that  He  may  abide 
with  you  forever,  even  the  Spirit  of  truth,  whom  the 
world  cannot  leceive,  neither  knoweth  Him."  It  is 
not.  Give  us  the  Comforter  then  we  will  keep  the  com- 
mandments, but  first  keep  the  commandments,  and  the 
Holy  Spirit  will  do  His  work;  that  is  the  plan,  often 
violated,  of  building  Christian  life.  Jesus  commanded 
the  lepers  to  go  and  show  themselves  to  the  priest,  and 
as  they  went,  after  they  obeyed,  not  before,  they  were 
healed.  We  are  prone  to  say.  Heal  me,  and  I  will  go 
to  the  priest;  or  give  me  conversion  and  I  will  obey. 
But  the  Divine  plan  is  to  bring  up  the  children  to  keep 
the  commandments;  place  the  emphasis  on  obedience 
tO'  God's  commandments,  then  the  Holy  Spirit  will  not 
fail  to  do  His  work.  It  is  by  Faith  in  His  power. 
We  cannot  emphasize  too  much,  that  when  God  gave 
the  commandments  he  said,  "Thou  shalt  teach  them 
diligently  unto  thy  children,  and  shalt  talk  of  them 


Relation  of  Sabbath  Observance  67 

when  thou  sittest  In  thine  house,  and  when  thou  walk- 
est  by  the  way,  and  when  thou  liest  down,  and  when 
thou  rlsest  up.  Thou  shalt  write  them  upon  the  posts 
of  thy  house  and  on  thy  gates."  This  places  the  em- 
phasis upon  keeping  the  commandments,  an  emphasis 
which  we  are  leaving  out,  so  largely,  in  plans  of  build- 
ing the  Kingdom. 

Proper  uses  of  the  Day  of  rest  and  worship  means 
time  for  religion.  We  under  estimate  the  effort  neces- 
sary to  keep  up  Christian  life  in  a  people.  More  than 
half  the  world  today  do  not  know  their  Creator,  and 
more  than  half  of  those  in  the  midst  of  Bible  teaching 
know  not  of  the  secret  things  of  peace  with  God.  All 
this  because  some  persons  at  some  time  have  neglected 
the  Sabbath;  they  have  not  given  time  to  s'^op  from 
pleasure  and  again  to  turn  aside  one  day  in  seven,  to 
sacredly  reflect  upon  the  things  of  the  higher  duties  of 
life.  They  have  not  taught  the  commandments  to  their 
children  on  the  Sabbath  day  nor  on  any  day ;  and  when 
the  things  of  religion  are  left  out  on  the  Sabbath,  it  is 
not  long  until  they  are  left  out  every  day  of  the  week. 
Children  under  the  care  of  the  Sabbath  desecrator 
grow  up  without  religious  training;  and  their  children 
grow  worse  than  their  parents.  Soon  a  generation  rises 
that  know  not  God. 

Proper  Sabbath  observance  means  religious  training 
of  the  children  and  religion  in  the  home.  When  the 
Sabbath  is  crowded  out  it  means  that  the  children  are 


68     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

not  trained,  and  that  there  Is  not  to  be  a  religious  life 
in  four-fifths  of  the  children.  When  the  Sabbath  Is 
crowded  out,  Bible  reading  is  neglected,  and  prayer 
and  religious  instruction.  When  the  Sabbath  is  crowd- 
ed out  the  boy  grows  up  following  the  ways  of  the 
world,  and  the  daughter  seeking  the  vanities  and  follies 
of  thoughtless  society,  neglecting  the  development  of 
the  moral  and  spiritual  life.  The  keeping  of  the  Sab- 
bath solves  the  boy  problem,  the  problem  of  home  relig- 
ious training  and  family  religion,  Bible  study  and  num- 
erous other  essentials  that  expensive  efforts  are  made 
in  vain  to  mend.  Sabbath  keeping  Is  God's  way.  Man 
has  devised  many  substitutes  for  the  obedience  of  the 
fourth  commandment,  but  there  are  no  substitutes. 
Nothing  In  this  world  can  take  the  place  of  one  day 
in  seven  sacredly  observed  for  the  quiet  of  rest  and 
religious  life.  A  triumphant  church  with  a  desecrated 
Sabbath  is  Impossible.  If  the  church  cannot  save  the 
Sabbath,  it  cannot  save  the  world,  nor  Itself.  The  arm 
of  the  church  becomes  paralyzed  as  the  sacred  uses  of 
the  day  vanish;  and  the  safety  and  integrity  of  the 
nation  diminishes. 

Some  one  writes  of  the  branches  of  a  peach  tree  dying 
at  the  top.  He  cut  off  the  dead  branches,  hoping,  there- 
by, to  save  the  tree.  But  the  branches  at  the  top  of  the 
tree  died  again,  and  again,  when  the  dead  branches  were 
cut  off.  He  thought  a  more  serious  weakness  caused 
the  limbs  to  die  at  the  top.     He  dug  about  the  root 


Relation  of  Sabbath  Observance  69 

of  the  tree,  and  found  that  worms  were  eating  into  the 
main  roots  of  the  tree  beneath  the  ground.  This  illus- 
trates how  spiritual  life,  the  highest  qualities  in  man,  die 
out  first,  because  insufficient  time  is  given  to  thought 
and  devotion  to  the  things  of  God — just  the  duties 
that  fail  to  receive  attention  when  the  sacred  day  is 
neglected.  Then  the  moral  qualities  follow  next  in 
decline,  after  religion  is  neglected.  We  try  to  remedy 
these  defects  by  some  man  made  theories,  likely,  without 
going  to  the  root  of  the  matter,  without  using  the  reme- 
dy which  God  has  devised,  which  is  the  fourth  com- 
mandment. 

God  has  given  three  things  for  preserving  the  moral 
and  spiritual  qualities  in  the  human  race.  These  are  the 
Bible,  the  Church  and  the  Sabbath.  These  three  main- 
tain the  Christian  character  of  the  people.  When  one 
foot  of  a  tripod  is  taken  the  other  two  topple  over.  So 
it  is  when  the  Bible  is  absent  from  a  people,  the  church 
and  the  Sabbath  are  lost.  When  the  Church  vanishes 
the  Sabbath  and  the  Bible  disappear.  When  the  Sab- 
bath fails  to  be  observed,  then  the  Bible  is  not  followed 
as  a  guide  and  the  church  is  not  honored  or  attended. 

To  get  a  wider  and  more  correct  knowledge  of  im- 
portant phases  of  the  Sabbath  question,  the  writer  in 
the  past  weeks  sent  out  letters  to  persons  in  different 
parts  of  the  United  States,  asking  statement  of  their 
observation  in  answer  to  the  six  questions  which  follow. 
Those  published  here  withhold  no  phase  of  the  ques- 


^O     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

tion  as  answered  in  the  replies,  and  are  from  persons 
who,  because  of  their  positions  in  life,  should  have 
made  observations  on  the  Sunday  subject. 

First  question.  Do  you  believe  the  fourth  command- 
ment to  be  binding  upon  us?  **The  fourth  command- 
ment is  as  binding  as  the  rest  and  all  are  as  binding  as 
God  can  make  them."  "Yes."  ''Most  emphatically, 
yes.  There  is  no  Scripture  authority  for  its  abroga- 
tion. Only  for  quibblers  does  this  raise  any  problem 
as  to  which  day  in  the  seven  is  to  be  kept  as  the  Sab- 
bath." "I  believe  the  fourth  commandment  is  binding 
on  us  in  so  far  as  Jesus  Christ  accepted  it  and  practiced 
it."  "Yes."  "Yes — in  the  larger  and  grander  sense 
interpreted  by  our  Master.  I  think  we  must  follow 
the  teachings  of  Jesus  Christ  who  made  very  clear  His 
position  on  this  great  question.  The  Christian  Sabbath, 
the  new  day,  the  beginning  of  new  things,  to  my  mind 
is  most  sacred  of  all  days,  and  I  would  not  give  up  the 
quiet,  the  rest,  the  worship,  the  memory  and  the  pro- 
phecy of  the  Sabbath  for  much  else." 

Second  question,  How  should  the  Sabbath  be  observ- 
ed? "The  Sabbath  should  be  observed  by  abstaining 
from  all  labor  and  all  pleasure  and  making  use  of  the 
day  in  such  a  way  as  to  give  rest  to  the  body  and  exer- 
cise to  the  spirit.  Any  recreation  which  broadens  and 
deepens  the  soul-life  of  the  individual  may  be  indulged 
in,  and  no  other."  "Religiously  in  attending  the  ordin- 
ances of  the  Lord's  house."     "It  should  be  kept  free 


Relation  of  Sabbath  Observance  7 1 

from  all  business  or  pleasure  which  Interferes  with 
one's  growth  In  the  Christian  life.  Positively  by  a 
faithful  use  of  all  means  for  growth  In  grace."  "The 
Lord's  Day  should  be  set  apart  for  worship  and  rest." 
"In  worship,  rest  and  charity."  "A  fine  answer  Is, 
'The  Sabbath  Is  to  be  sanctified  by  a  holy  resting  all 
that  day,  even  from  such  worldly  employments  and 
recreations  as  are  lawful  on  other  days;  and  spending 
the  whole  time  In  the  public  and  private  exercises  of 
God's  worship,  except  so  much  as  is  to  be  taken  up  In 
the  works  of  necessity  and  mercy.  Only  In  our  day,  we 
have  to  add  to  it,  not  merely  do  we  need  a  rest  on  that 
day  from  such  worldly  employments  and  recreations 
as  are  necessary  on  other  days,  and  not  only  should  we 
spend  time  in  public  and  private  exercises  of  worship, 
but  also  In  the  works  of  necessity  and  mercy.  I  have 
two  ideas  on  the  Sabbath.  One  is  worship,  rest,  medi- 
tation on  things  divine ;  the  other  is  service ;  It  Is  a  day 
peculiarly  set  apart  for  deeds  Christlike  and  godly.'  " 

Third  question,  Is  it  your  observation  that  people 
develop  in  the  Christian  life  when  they  use  the  day  In 
labor  for  pay,  as  a  visiting  day  or  as  a  holiday?  "My 
observation  has  been  that  a  partial  nonobservance  of 
the  Sabbath  results  in  spiritual  decline  and,  afterwards, 
In  spiritual  indifference  and  overthrow."  "No." 
"NO."  "All  of  these  things  stultify  and  stifle  any  real 
development  in  the  Christian  life,  according  to  my 
observation."     "People  in  the  church,  and  out,  do  not 


72     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

develop  In  the  Christian  life  who  are  compelled  to 
work  for  pay  by  corporations.  I  urge  my  flock  to  in- 
form people  who  call  on  them  for  visiting  purposes  on 
the  Lord's  Day,  that  they  have  important  engagements 
at  church  and  then  kindly  invite  them  to  attend  with 
them." 

"It  is  not  an  easy  question  to  answer.  As  to  work  for 
pay,  it  is  not  possible  for  some  people  to  refuse  to  work 
for  pay  on  that  day.  Each  case  must  stand  on  its  own 
showing.  You  cannot  lay  down  any  rule  in  the  com- 
plex civilization  in  which  we  are  placed.  I  believe 
that  every  man  should  have  one  rest  day  in  seven,  it  can- 
not always  be  on  Sunday  in  view  of  the  complex  civiliza- 
tion in  which  we  live.  A  man  must  have  vision  in 
these  things.  As  to  visiting  on  that  day,  while  I  draw 
a  strong  line  for  myself,  it  would  depend  on  what  kind 
of  visiting,  before  I  would  condemn  it  in  others.  If 
you  mean  by  visiting,  social  parties  and  the  like,  that  is 
a  different  thing.  But  I  would  not  lay  down  a  law 
and  state  that  there  should  be  no  visiting  on  the  Lord's 
Day.  As  to  using  the  Sabbath  as  a  holiday,  unequivo- 
cally— in  no  sense  would  I  regard  it  as  a  holiday." 

Fourth  question,  Are  children  trained  in  Christian 
ways,  and  do  they  embrace  the  Christian  life,  when  the 
parents  use  the  Sabbath  as  a  holiday  or  as  a  work  day? 
"Not  to  any  alarming  extent."  "No,  not  often."  "Like 
parents  like  children.  Very  rarely  do  children  em- 
brace the  Christian  life  whose  parents  use  the  Lord's 


Relation  of  Sabbath  Observance  73 

Day  for  work  or  holiday,  and  I  have  had  30  years  per- 
sonal knowledge  as  a  downtown  pastor  of  these  condi- 
tions." "Children  from  such  homes,  as  a  rule,  become 
Christians  and  develop  in  the  Christian  life,  only  in 
spite  of  the  home  influence  and  because  of  outside  in- 
fluences." "No  doubt  where  parents  use  the  Sabbath 
entirely  as  a  holiday  the  influence  is  bad  on  the  child." 

Fifth  question,  Is  the  Lord's  Day  declining  in  its 
religious  uses?  "Everything  indicates  a  decline.  De- 
sire for  worship  has  given  place  to  a  desire  to  be  enter- 
tained. The  home  is  where  the  danger  lies.  Children 
must  not  only  be  taught  that  the  observance  of  the  Sab- 
bath is  right  and  in  harmony  with  God's  laws  and  the 
teachings  of  sociology,  but  it  must  be  enforced  by 
precept  and  example.  It  is  senseless  to  say  that  during 
the  formative  period  the  child  must  be  allowed  to 
choose  for  itself.  Children  must  be  made  to  observe 
the  Sabbath  in  such  a  way  as  will  draw  a  well-marked 
cleavage  between  the  Sabbath  and  all  the  other  days  of 
the  week."  "Yes,  where  there  is  a  large  foreign  pop- 
ulation. "No."  "Not  so  much  by  Christians  as  out- 
siders and  those  who  drift  away  from  church  on  re- 
moval to  new  towns  or  cities.  I  am  in  position  to 
know  that  actors,  baseball  players,  barbers  and  packing 
house  workers  do  not  wish  to  be  white  slaves  to  cor- 
porations, and  for  physical  reasons,  if  for  no  other,  they 
are  anxious  for  one  day  in  seven  for  rest,  and  some  of 
them  for  divine  worship."    "I  fear  the  highest  ideals  of 


74     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

its  observance  are  passing  away ;  yet  in  a  modified  form 
it  is  more  generally  observed  than  ever  before."  "Have 
not  data  sufficient  to  answer.  In  some  places,  yes;  in 
others,  no.  In  my  journeyings  over  the  country  through- 
out the  year  I  stayed  in  many  homes.  So  far  as  my 
observations  go,  I  should  say  that  the  Lord's  Day  was 
as  carefully  and  as  religiously  mapped  out  as  it  was  in 
my  childhood." 

Sixth  question,  What  methods,  in  your  judgment, 
should  be  used  to  bring  better  uses  of  the  day?  "Church 
members  must  sacrifice  the  pleasure  of  a  long  ride  in  a 
car  for  the  benefits  of  worship  in  God's  house.  The 
ministry  must  refrain  from  the  appearance  of  evil  in 
this  matter  and  set  a  worthy  example."  (The  follow- 
ing answer  was  by  a  superintendent  of  public  schools). 
"Use  Bibles  in  all  schools,  both  public  and  private;  pro- 
hibit baseball  and  moving  picture  shows  on  Sunday; 
close  all  saloons  when  and  where  possible;  and  live 
more  consecrated  lives  ourselves."  "Place  emphasis  on 
the  fourth  commandment ;  keep  churches  open ;  let  wor- 
ship of  God  be  the  keynote  in  church  services ;  less  dry- 
bone,  conceited,  human  preaching,  and  a  better  spirit  of 
contrition,  humility  and  love  in  our  services."  "The 
church  should  create  moral  sentiment  in  favor  of  one 
day  for  rest  and  worship;  pastors  should  ring  the 
changes  from  their  pulpits;  line  up  the  laboring  man 
along  this  line.  This  is  a  good  opportunity  to  show 
that  the  church  is  doing  all  possible  to  bring  about  one- 


Relation  of  Sabbath  Observance  75 

day-in-seven  to  break  the  yoke  of  bondage  by  greedy  cor- 
porations which  compel  them  to  work  on  the  Lord's 
Day.  Our  legislators  and  congressmen  should  pass 
laws  forcing  all  theaters,  motion  picture  shows  and 
such,  to  close  shop,  so  to  speak,  on  the  Lord's  Day,  on 
physical  grounds,  of  course."  "I  believe  one  helpful 
method,  if  it  could  be  financed,  would  be  a  series  of 
conferences  or  institutes  in  all  our  cities  and  towns  on 
the  Sabbath.  This  would  educate  and  help  create  pub- 
lic sentiment  and  conscience."  "This  is  a  large  ques- 
tion, I  can  only  give  brief  answers.  Christian  people 
should  make  the  Sabbath  bright,  winsome,  cheery,  hope- 
ful, beautiful.  Christians  should  engage  in  service  for 
things  worth  while.  Careful  attention  should  be  given 
to  legislation.  Any  legislative  act  that  makes  more  work 
is  detrimental  to  the  best  interest  of  the  community  at 
large.  I  oppose  all  laws  looking  to  extra  work  on  Sun- 
day. I  would  oppose  baseball  games,  excursion  trains 
and  everything  which  puts  on  the  poor  man  the  obliga- 
tion to  work.  All  Christians  should  endeavor  to  urge 
legislation  with  restrictions  to  the  minimum  of  Sunday 
labor.  Finally,  Christians  should  refuse  to  go  to  Art 
Exhibitions,  galleries  and  any  places  of  worldly  amuse- 
ment on  the  Lord's  Day.  The  Christian  is  a  great  sin- 
ner in  this  matter." 

A  wide  survey  of  the  results  from  disregard  for  the 
sacred  uses  of  the  day  of  rest  and  worship,  make  cer- 
tain facts  evident.    It  is  evident  that  those  who  use  the 


76     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

Sabbath  as  a  holiday,  or  In  reading  baser  fiction,  or  in 
social  gatherings,  or  in  the  pursuit  of  pleasure,  fashion, 
or  politics,  are  not  developing  in  the  Christian  life. 

Another  fact  most  evident  is  that  those  who  use  the 
Sabbath  in  pursuit  of  w^orldly  gain,  pleasure  or  society, 
do  not  train  their  children  in  Christian  habits  or  bring 
them  up  w^Ith  Christian  belief. 

Another  fundamental  truth  becomes  evident,  that  the 
Holy  Spirit  Is  quenched  from  the  life  by  Sabbath  trans- 
gression, just  as  His  Indvv^elllng  presence  vanishes  from 
any  other  life  of  transgression.  We  do  not  ask  if  the 
profane  man  Is  an  example  of  Christian  Faith  and  life; 
we  know  he  is  not  because  his  wrong  quenches  the  Holy 
Spirit  from  his  life.  When  we  see  a  person  reckless 
in  Sabbath  desecration  we  do  not  ask  If  that  person  is  a 
Christian ;  we  know  that  his  wrong  has  a  demoralizing 
effect  upon  his  heart  and  conscience. 

Do  we  realize  the  full  Import  of  these  facts?  We 
stand  in  awe  as  we  face  the  fact  that  between  4,000,000 
and  5,000,000  of  the  citizens  of  our  land,  who  are  or 
who  will  become  the  fathers  and  mothers  of  the  next 
generation,  are  compelled  to  labor  on  the  Sabbath,  and 
It  is  bringing  the  mass  of  them  Into  spiritual  degen- 
eracy and  their  children  into  unbelief,  with  Its  conse- 
quent large  portion  of  crime.  More  than  that,  and  per- 
haps worse,  millions  more  are  squandering  the  sacred 
day,  needful  to  them  for  spiritual  enrichment,  in  trifling 
fascinations  of  amusement,  fashion  and  worldly  pur- 


Relation  of  Sabbath  Observance  77 

suits.  Multitudes  are  going  away  from  godliness,  des- 
pising the  church  and  making  excuses  for  their  failures 
to  serve  in  the  Master's  kingdom,  as  a  consequence. 
If  we  take  this  to  heart  enough  to  realize  the  meaning 
of  it,  we  cannot  be  indifferent  to  the  Sunday  question. 

Exclamations  of  distress  that  cry  out  of  this  awful 
condition  are  heard  on  all  sides.  A  father  wept,  as  he 
felt  the  disgrace  upon  himself  and  son,  when  the  son 
was  sentenced  to  the  reform  school.  He  said,  why 
should  we  suffer  for  the  wrongs  which  others  have 
caused?  During  all  the  life  time  of  this  boy  I  have 
had  to  work  on  Sundays ;  and  when  I  should  have  been 
at  home  on  the  Sabbath  days  developing  my  own  Chris- 
tian life,  setting  before  him  a  godly  example  and  train- 
ing him  in  Christian  ways,  I  have  been  compelled  to  la- 
bor on  that  day.  Now  we  must  suffer  for  it.  His 
lament  is  only  that  which  is  echoed  throughout  our 
land  because  of  the  transgression  of  the  Sabbath  law. 

A  man  engaged  in  the  government  mail  service,  car- 
rying the  mail  pouches  between  the  post  office  and  train 
in  one  of  our  cities,  said  that  for  years  he  was  required 
by  the  duties  of  his  labor,  to  work  at  all  the  hours  of 
church  services,  laboring  on  Sabbath  as  well  as  on  other 
days  of  the  week.  He  was  asked  about  maintaining 
his  Christian  life  under  those  conditions.  He  spurned 
the  thought  of  religion.  But  he  said  he  used  to  think 
of  those  things.  But  years  ago  he  made  up  his  mind 
he  would  have  to  do  one  of  two  things;    he  must 


78     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

give  up  religion  or  yield  his  position  in  the  mail  service ; 
and  he  concluded  to  continue  to  draw  his  monthly  check 
from  Uncle  Sam  in  the  mail  service  and  let  religion  go. 
And  he  represents  thousands  of  others  who  are  abandon- 
ing the  ways  of  the  Christian  life  because  of  Sabbath 
desecration. 

A  young  man  in  the  street  car  service  said  he  was 
brought  up  in  a  Christian  home.  His  father  and  his 
mother  were  in  the  church.  And  they  were  anxious 
about  his  Christian  life.  He  accepted  a  position  in  the 
street  car  service,  and  he  soon  was  asked  to  work  on  the 
Sabbath  day,  which  he  did.  He  said  he  soon  ceased  to 
go  to  church  as  his  Sunday  work  began.  His  religious 
Interest  died  out;  he  had  not  attended  church  for  years 
and  bad  habits  were  overcoming  him.  His  father  would 
be  much  surprised  If  he  knew  how  he  had  lost  out  in 
religion,  he  said.  He  was  asked  if  there  was  not  some- 
thing wrong  about  a  condition  that  required  a  person 
to  so  labor  on  the  Sabbath  day  that  he  could  not  take 
care  of  his  soul's  salvation.  He  said  I  know  it  Is  wrong 
and  feel  it,  but  what  can  we  do?  He  speaks  for  tens 
of  thousands  of  young  men  and  women  in  this  country 
today. 

There  are  more  boys  selling  papers  on  the  streets  of 
American  cities  Sabbath  days,  drifting  away  from  the 
Christian  life,  thereby  than  are  found  In  attendance  upon 
all  our  preaching  services.  More  children  are  taken 
joy  riding  on  Sabbath  days  than  the  number  that  are 


Relation  of  Sabbath  Observance  79 

taught  anything  of  the  religious  life  in  the  homes  of  our 
land.  More  young  men  and  women  spend  Sabbath 
days  at  amusement  resorts  than  engage  In  the  various 
forms  of  Christian  work  on  that  day.  These  condi- 
tions enter  into  the  problem  of  whether  those  who  do 
not  enter  more  decidedly  into  Christian  service  and  the 
Christian  life,  can  put  Christian  character  into  the  next 
generation.    What  will  the  harvest  be? 

In  the  amusement  resorts  in  the  cities  on  Sabbath 
evenings  thousands  of  young  men  and  young  women 
are  found  dancing,  playing  cards,  engaged  in  the  vari- 
ous amusements  provided  in  these  places.  These  things 
of  course,  are  out  of  harmony  with  the  sacred  character 
of  the  Sabbath.  No  one  can  claim  that  such  practices 
"Remember  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy."  From 
a  Saturday  issue  of  a  city  daily  paper  the  announce- 
ments for  the  amusements  for  the  next  day,  Sabbath, 
are  found:  "The  dude  detective  at  the  Empress.  An 
alvalanche  of  Popular  fun.  Just  one  scream  after  an- 
other." "At  the  Clubhouse  and  ballroom;  dancing — 
hesitate — tango — one  step  ;  Saturday  and  Sunday." 
"At  the  Walnut;  a  laugh  romance  of  quick  fire  action; 
first  time  at  popular  prices.  Matinee  and  night,  Sun- 
day." "All-Star  vaudeville:  Sunday  matinee;  The 
Green  Beetle;  the  hurrahs;  they  do  tango  and  hesitate 
waltz  on  skates ;  25  cents."  "Burlesque  at  the  Olymp- 
ic; Sunday;  Paquita,  Spanish  dancer."  "At  the  Gay- 
ety;     Sunday   matinee;     Louis   Robie's   beauty   show; 


8o     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

burlesque  sensation,  *Oh,  Oh,  Josephine;'  screamingly 
funny  comedians,  bountiful  bevies  of  bewitching  beau- 
ties." ''Five  river  rides,  Sunday;  music  for  every  new 
dance;  moonlight  dance  cruise;  round  trip  25  cents." 
These  with  other  allurements  are  advertised  in  one 
daily  paper  to  attract  the  unwary  youth  in  one  of  our 
American  cities  on  a  Sabbath  day.  These  attractions 
appeal  to  the  baser  nature  of  the  youth,  and  dwarf 
the  moral  and  spiritual  life  by  spending  the  Sabbath  in 
their  attendance.  Other  attractions,  such  as  baseball 
games,  races  and  shows,  all  of  which  appeal  to  the  baser 
natures  and  have  nothing  for  the  sacred  uses  of  the 
Sabbath  day.  They  contain  nothing  for  moral  or  relig- 
ous  upbuilding.  Other  practices  that  turn  the  heart 
away  from  seeking  spiritual  upbuilding  Is  the  automo^ 
bile  joy  riding  on  the  Sabbath.  There  is  usually  the 
defense  that  we  can  worship  God  in  nature.  Those 
who  go  on  an  auto  trip  on  the  Sabbath  day  and  wor- 
ship God  by  doing  so  are  not  violating  the  command, 
''Remember  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy,"  but  there 
are  convincing  indications  that  the  Sunday  automobile 
ride,  In  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  is  nothing  but  a  holiday 
outing  like  any  other  Sunday  excursion.  All  these 
things  cause  some  people  to  labor  on  the  day  of  rest 
and  worship.  Those  who  patronize  them  are  not  devel- 
oping In  the  religious  and  moral  life;  but  are  growing 
indifferent  to  the  claims  of  religion.  They  are  not 
reading  the  Scriptures  sufficiently  to  know  the  way  of 


Relation  of  Sabbath  Observance  8 1 

salvation  or  to  turn  their  thoughts  to  those  essential 
truths.  The  claims  of  Christ  has  no  response  in  their 
souls.  They  know  so  little  of  the  Bible  that  they  are 
ashamed  to  go  where  they  might  expose  their  ignorance 
of  these  things.  And  the  longer  they  spend  their  Sab- 
baths in  pursuing  such  trifling  attractions  the  more 
deeply  they  become  intrenched  in  the  ways  of  godless- 
ness.  When  the  fourth  commandment  is  violated  by 
such  holiday  pastimes,  the  Holy  Spirit  is  quenched 
from  the  life,  interest  in  religious  things  dies  out,  objec- 
tions are  made  against  all  efforts  to  lead  them  to  salva- 
tion and  excuses  are  offered  for  not  attending  to  the 
development  of  Christian  character.  We  do  not  won- 
der that  the  unanimous  testimony,  in  the  observation 
of  those  consulted,  has  been  that  they  who  use  the 
Sabbath  as  a  holiday  do  not  develop  in  the  Christian 
life. 

More  than  half  of  the  people  of  the  world  do  not 
know  their  Creator.  They  have  not  had  instruction 
and  training  enough  in  spiritual  things  to  keep  them  in 
harmony  with  God.  380,000,000  in  China,  300,000,000 
in  India  and  170,000,000  in  Africa  are  living  without 
a  knowledge  of  the  true  God,  and  are  groping  in  their 
blindness  in  the  baseness  of  superstition  and  idolatry. 
Why  have  they  been  brought  to  this  unfortunate  con- 
dition of  godlessness?  It  is  because  they  have  not  been 
trained  or  instructed  in  the  teachings  of  the  Bible. 
Long  ago  their  fathers  and  mothers  failed  to  come  to 


82     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

sincere  obedience  of  the  Sabbath,  and  they  heeded  not 
the  things  of  religion  week  after  week  and  month  after 
month,  until  they  lost  heart  in  the  worship  of  God. 
They  brought  up  their  children  without  a  Sabbath,  to 
bring  themselves  to  humble  worship  and  prayer  to 
know  the  truth.  We  cannot  imagine  a  people  who  keep 
the  Sabbath  in  seeking  to  know  their  Creator  and  Sa- 
vior to  lose  out  in  religious  truth.  On  the  other  hand, 
we  cannot  imagine  a  people  to  maintain  the  worship 
of  God  or  to  keep  up  in  the  moral  life  who  do  not 
seek  God  and  spiritual  enlightenment  one  day  in  seven. 
It  is  the  fourth  commandment  that  is  lost  first  in  the 
downward  course  from  God.  When  the  Sabbath  is 
lost,  religion  is  perverted.  Peculiar  beliefs  are  sure 
to  follow.  When  a  people  fail  to  sincerely  and  rever- 
ently seek  God  one  day  in  seven,  they  then  fail  in  spir- 
itual perception  of  religious  truths,  because  these  things 
are  spiritually  discerned.  They  are  certain  to  evolve 
their  religion  out  of  their  intellectual  reasoning  instead 
of  out  of  their  hearts,  from  communion  with  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  are  always  led  astray  thereby.  "The  world 
by  wisdom  knoweth  not  God."  The  Holy  Spirit  is 
the  author  of  the  life  of  Faith  in  the  soul,  and  we 
know  the  Creator  and  Savior  by  the  revelation  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  the  soul.  And  when  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
quenched  from  the  life,  as  He  is,  by  Sabbath  desecra- 
tion, it  is  impossible  to  know  Him.  In  this  way  the 
peoples  have  brought  up  their  children  in  heathen  dark- 


Relation  of  Sabbath  Olservance  83 

ness,  until  the  vast  populations  worship  by  the  vain 
speculations  of  philosophy.  Confucius,  Buddha  and  oth- 
ers who  have  led  the  pagan  world  in  their  idolatrous  re- 
ligions have  not  given  forth  their  philosophy  from  hearts 
enlightened  by  communion  with  God,  but  from  noble 
minds.  The  same  is  true  of  the  thousands  of  others  who 
have,  in  every  age,  defined  some  philosophy  that  has 
appealed  to  the  public  mind.  Some  have  been  "false 
prophets,"  and  some  have  been  sincere  in  their  blind 
delusion.  But  all  of  them  have  been  inconsistent  in  Sab- 
bath keeping  and  plain  teachings  of  the  Scriptures.  The 
individual  drifts  away  by  slack  Sabbath  keeping;  and 
the  communities  drift  away  from  sincere  religious  life 
by  allowing  the  stores  to  be  open  on  the  Sabbath,  and 
sports  to  be  engaged  In,  until  the  atmosphere  of  the 
places,  on  the  Sabbath  days,  is  permeated  with  the  spirit 
of  traffic,  travel,  fashion  and  society  Instead  of  the  spirit 
of  quiet  worship.  Nations  drift  away  from  God  in  a 
similar  manner.  Customs  become  popular  that  are  out 
of  harmony  with  Christianity;  men  without  religion 
are  placed  In  public  office;  public  affairs  are  without 
regard  for  the  Sabbath ;  rulers  set  the  example  of  pub- 
lic appearances  and  travel  on  the  Sabbath;  laws  are  de- 
nied which  are  necessary  to  protect  the  true  spirit  of 
worship;  laws  are  made  which  conflict  with  the  laws 
of  God.  Solomon  married  the  princess  of  Egypt,  a  wise 
worldly  policy,  to  secure  the  influence  of  Egypt;  and 
proceeded  to  marry  other  wives,  and  then  to  build  places 


§4     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

of  worship,  not  in  complete  harmony  with  God's  com- 
mandments, but  to  meet  seemingly  necessary  conditions. 
Then  Jeroboam  thought  it  was  necessary  to  set  up  gold- 
en calves  in  Dan  and  Bethel  to  meet  a  condition,  and 
to  be  popular  with  many.  So  it  was  not  long  until 
the  nation  is  found  worshipping  with  idols,  as  the  sur- 
rounding heathen  people.  It  is  not  a  long  step  between 
the  sincere  worship  of  Israel  in  the  days  of  David 
and  the  idol  worship  of  Jeroboam  and  Ahab.  Ezekiel 
tells  us  that  the  degeneracy  of  Israel  was  "Because  they 
despised  my  judgments,  and  walked  not  in  my  statutes, 
but  polluted  my  Sabbaths."  Any  individual,  family, 
community  or  nation  will  become  degenerate  that  does 
not  keep  the  Sabbath.  If  we  ask  why  the  half  of  the 
world  is  in  heathen  darkness  today,  the  answer  is,  they 
did  not  keep  the  Sabbath.  The  same  is  true  of  the 
multiude  that  are  in  Christian  nations,  in  the  midst 
of  church  privileges;  they  are  not  Christian  and  have 
lost  the  Christian  habits  and  Faith  because  they  or  their 
parents  have  not  kept  the  Sabbath. 

A  criminal  drew  a  rude  sketch  on  the  walls  of  the 
prison,  showing  the  steps  that  led  to  his  criminal  career. 
Four  steps  were  drawn;  on  the  first  step  he  wrote 
Disobedience  to  parents;  on  the  second  step  he  placed 
Sabbath  desecration;  on  the  third.  Intemperance  and 
gambling;  on  the  fourth.  Crime.  Over  these,  on  the 
platform,  the  gallows.  One  who  has  given  special  study 
to  the  subject  of  crime  and  criminals  said  that  his  ob- 


Relation  of  Sabbath  Observance  85 

servation  has  been  that  nearly  every  criminal  career, 
if  not  everyone  has  been  caused  by  Sabbath  desecra- 
tion. 

As  we  look  about  us,  and  see  the  number  who  have 
lost  out  in  the  worship  and  Faith  of  God,  we  see  that 
there  is  a  proneness  to  underestimate  the  amount  of  time 
and  effort  necessary  to  maintain  proper  moral  and 
Christian  life  and  service.  God  requires  of  us  to  take 
time  for  religion.  We  owe  it  to  him  to  cease  from 
secular  pursuits  and  pleasures  one  day  in  seven  and  give 
Him  thanks  and  seek  the  true  way  of  worship  and 
moral  living.  We  cannot  learn  music  without  taking 
time  for  it,  nor  the  arts,  neither  can  we  develop  Chris- 
tian character  without  taking  time  for  it.  For  this  rea- 
son God,  who  knows  the  needs  of  man,  has  mude  one 
day  in  seven  sacred  for  rest  and  worship.  A  noted 
musician  said,  if  I  neglect  the  piano  a  week  I  notice  it. 
If  I  neglect  to  practice  for  two  weeks  my  friends  no- 
tice it.  If  I  fail  to  practice  for  three  weeks  the  public 
notices  it.  So  it  is,  if  we  fail  to  keep  the  Sabbath 
for  religious  purposes  one  week  God  notices  it;  we 
have  not  the  quickened  conscience,  the  communion  with 
God,  the  concern  for  right  living  that  we  would  have 
had  if  we  had  taken  the  Sabbath  for  religious  reflec- 
tion. If  WT  neglect  the  Sabbath  for  two  w^eks  we  no- 
tice it;  we  do  not  feel  a  vital  interest  in  the  Christian 
life  as  we  would  if  we  had  kept  the  two  Sabbaths.  If 
we  neglect  the  Sabbath  for  three  weeks  our  friends  no- 


86     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

tice  it;  there  is  not  the  outward  evidence  of  an  in- 
ward spiritual  interest.  If  a  generation  grows  up  with- 
out the  Sabbath  the  next  generation  feels  the  iron  heel 
of  corruption,  crime  and  unbelief.  Three  generations 
Sabbathless  will  bring  paganism  as  complete  as  we  find 
it  in  pagan  countries;  but  the  superstition  and  baseness 
in  the  lower  castes,  as  we  find  in  India  and  other  god- 
less countries  come  to  the  people  as  the  generations 
sweep  on  without  a  Sacred  Sabbath  unto  the  Lord. 

Chief  Justice  Hale  said,  "Nine-tenths  of  those  con- 
victed before  me  for  high  crime  said  they  started  in  the 
road  to  crime  by  Sabbath  desecration."  Justice  Strong 
gives  similar  testimony,  "The  common  lament  of  crim- 
inals is,  I  started  down  by  Sabbath  desecration."  Mr. 
D.  J.  Star,  who  has  given  the  subject  of  crime  and 
criminals  much  study,  and  who  was  chaplain  of  the 
Ohio  state  penitentiary  for  a  number  of  years  said, 
"My  observation  is,  that  nearly  every  criminal  career, 
if  not  everyone,  is  brought  about  by  Sabbath  desecra- 
tion." The  Massachusetts  prison  chaplain  said,  "The 
overwhelming  majority  of  criminals  hereabouts  are 
those  who  had  a  holiday  Sunday,  at  least  after  church." 
S.  Cutler,  agent  of  the  New  York  Prison  Association, 
said,  "Sabbath  desecration  is  almost  always  the  fore- 
runner of  crime."  The  superintendent  of  the  Martha 
Washington  Home,  whose  work  for  many  years  was  to 
care  for  wayward  and  unfortunate  girls,  said,  "Fifty 
per  cent,  of  these  girls  between  fourteen  and  eighteen 


Relation  of  Sabbath  Observance  87 

are  led  into  wrong  doing  through  lack  of  restraint 
from  Sunday  sports."  A  New  York  business  firm  in- 
vited any  desiring  a  $3,000  clerkship  to  call  Saturday. 
Two  of  the  number  were  asked  to  return  Monday  for 
the  answer  for  the  position.  Monday  the  employer 
said,  "You  have  just  the  mental  qualifications  and  ex- 
perience our  business  needs;  but  you  spent  yesterday, 
the  Sabbath,  at  Coney  Island  amusement  resort.  I  am 
not  a  member  of  a  church,  but  as  a  business  man,  have 
learned  that  it  is  not  safe  to  trust  anyone  with  large 
financial  responsibility  who  spends  Sunday  in  sport." 
The  other  applicant  for  the  position  had  been  at 
Church  the  Sabbath  before,  and  he  was  accepted.  When 
this  event  was  related  in  a  Sabbath-school  the  superin- 
tendent, who  had  large  business  experience,  said,  "I 
have  heard  several  business  men  in  this  city  say  the 
same  thing." 

A  careful  record  was  made  of  six  families  who  kept 
not  the  Sabbath,  and  five  families  with  equal  religious 
advantages,  who  kept  the  Sabbath.  The  record  of  the 
families  was  traced  to  the  third  generation.  The  rec- 
ord shows  that,  of  the  fifty  descendants  of  the  non-Sab- 
bath keeping  families,  50  per  cent,  of  those  who  arrived 
to  mature  years  were  drunkards  and  gamblers  and  dis- 
solute; 10  per  cent,  of  them  have  been  in  prison;  five 
families  were  broken  by  divorce,  and  another  by  the 
father  being  sent  to  the  penitentiary  for  theft;  eight 
parents  became  drunkarks;   one  committed  suicide;  all 


88     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

came  to  poverty;  one  was  killed  In  a  fight;  and  only 
one  became  a  Christian.  The  descendants  of  the  Sab- 
bath keeping  families  showed  20  per  cent,  consistent 
Christians;  many  filled  important  positions  of  useful- 
ness; none  were  convicted  of  crime;  none  came  to 
poverty. 

Anyone  can  take  a  survey  of  the  situation  and  see 
the  relation  of  Sabbath  keeping  to  the  development  of 
Christian  character.  And  he  will  find  the  events  re- 
ported correspond  with  the  facts  that  everyday  experi- 
ences are  bringing  out.  The  central  and  largest  com- 
mand of  the  decalogue  is  necessary  to  maintain  all  the 
other  nine  commands;  as  the  keystone  of  the  arch 
is  required  for  the  support  of  the  arch. 

The  rows  of  corn  in  a  garden  in  an  irrigating  dis- 
trict, showed  large,  thrifty  corn  in  one  end  of  the  gar- 
den, but  small  stalks,  but  a  few  inches  high,  without 
vitality  enough  to  yield  anything,  at  the  other  end.  The 
owner  said  that  the  ground  was  just  as  fertile  and 
had  as  much  irrigation  in  one  end  as  the  other;  but,  as 
he  had  thought  of  the  reason  for  the  stunted  growth 
at  the  one  end,  he  said  the  tree  kept  out  the  sunshine 
from  the  end  of  the  garden  where  the  corn  was  so 
small,  while  the  other  end  of  the  garden  had  the  morn- 
ing sunshine.  Is  that  not  the  way  it  is  in  spiritual 
growth  in  the  hearts  of  people?  Those  who  do  not 
spend  the  Sabbath  in  communion  with  God,  have  not 
the  vitalizing  forces  in  the  soul  that  brings  spiritual 


Relation  of  Sabbath  Observance  89 

growth.  While  the  Sabbath  in  communion  with  God 
gives  spiritual  vitality  and  fruits  abound  in  the  life. 
That  explains  the  record  of  crime  in  families  where 
there  is  no  Sabbath  and  the  presence  of  the  fruits  of  the 
Christian  life  in  families  and  countries  where  they  keep 
the  Sabbath  sacred  for  rest  and  religon. 


CHAPTER  VII 


METHODS    OF    SECURING   A   DAY   OF    REST    EACH    WEEK 
IN  CONTINUOUS  INDUSTRY 

"Laws  setting  aside  Sunday  as  a  day  of  rest  are  up- 
held, not  from  any  right  of  the  Government  to  legis- 
late for  the  promotion  of  religious  observances,  but 
from  its  right  to  protect  all  persons  from  the  physical 
and  moral  debasement  that  comes  from  uninterrupted 
labor.  Such  laws  have  always  been  deemed  beneficial 
and  merciful  laws,  especially  to  the  poor  and  dependent, 
to  the  laborers  in  our  factories  and  workshops  and  in 
the  heated  rooms  of  our  cities;  and  their  validity  has 
been  sustained  by  the  highest  courts  of  the  states." — 
Supreme  Court  of  the  U.  S.  Unanimous  decision, 
March  i6,  1885. 

"Give  the  world  one-half  of  Sunday  and  you  will 
soon  find  that  religion  has  no  strong  hold  on  the  other 
half." — Sir  Walter  Scott. 

"While  industry  is  suspended,  while  the  plough  lies 
in  the  furrow,  while  the  exchange  is  silent,  while  no 
smoke  ascends  from  the  factory,  a  process  is  going  on 
quite  as  important  to  the  wealth  of  the  nation  as  any 
process  which  is  performed  on  more  busy  days.  Man, 
the  machine  of  machines,  is  repairing  and  winding  up 
so  that  he  returns  to  his  labor  on  Monday  with  clearer 
intellect,  with  livelier  spirit,  with  renewed  corporal 
vigor." — Macaulay. 


90 


Methods  of  Securing  A  Day  of  Rest  91 

THE  conditions  that  constitute  the  need  of 
a  day  of  rest  for  each  in  a  week,  furnish 
proper  grounds  for  a  law  for  a  day  of  rest 
for  all.  Nine  persons  out  of  ten  agree  that 
all  persons  should  have  a  day  of  rest  each  week,  but  it 
is  not  brought  about.  We  have  been  content  to  study 
conditions  and  philosophize  on  the  wrong  of  Sunday 
and  seven-day  labor,  and  not  do  the  things  that  bring 
to  pass  the  will  of  the  people,  or  that  which  is  neces- 
sary to  reduce  Sunday  labor  to  the  minimum  and  secure 
a  day  of  rest  in  seven.  It  can  be  done.  How  we  may 
bring  it  about  is  an  important  inquiry.  For,  while 
churches,  labor  unions,  political  parties,  religious  con- 
ferences and  assemblies  of  citizens  are  passing  strong 
recommendations  against  Sunday  and  seven-day  labor 
and  Sabbath  desecration,  violation  of  the  Sabbath  is  on 
the  increase.  More  persons  are  being  employed  for 
seven-day  labor,  more  plans  for  toil  on  that  day,  and 
more  Sabbath  desecration  are  boldly  arranged  for,  than 
ever.  The  fourth  commandment  is  being  crowded  out 
in  every  phase  of  the  problem.  The  habits  of  the 
people  are  more  and  more  for  using  the  day  as  a  holi- 
day; the  doctrine  of  the  people  is  for  excusing  them- 
selves for  their  misconduct;  "necessity  and  mercy,"  is 
given  a  broader  interpretation,  until  all  kinds  of  busi- 
ness, traffic  and  recreation  are  placed  into  that  conven- 
ient category.  It  is  now  due  to  the  American  people 
to  be  true  to  their  convictions  and  bring  to  pass  the 


92     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

observance  of  the  day  of  rest  which  we  know  is  required 
of  us  for  the  physical,  moral  and  spiritual  well  being 
of  the  people. 

A  crisis  in  this  movement  was  in  1888,  when  the 
Blair  Sunday  Rest  Bill  came  before  Congress.  On  the 
one  hand,  the  material  prosperity,  modern  inventions 
and  concentrating  industries  began  seriously  to  crowd 
out  the  sacred  day  of  rest  and  worship.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  conscience  and  sentiment  of  this  Christian 
nation  demanded  that  the  Sabbath  be  preserved.  The 
Bill  was  presented  by  Senator  Blair,  and  forbid  "any 
secular  work,  labor  or  business,  works  of  necessity, 
mercy  and  religion  excepted;  nor  shall  any  person 
engage  in  any  public  play,  game  or  amusement,  or  rec- 
reation to  the  disturbance  of  others,  on  the  first  day  of 
the  week,  commonly  known  as  the  Lord's  Day. 
.  Nor  shall  it  be  legal  to  require  those  engaged  in 
works  permitted  on  the  Sabbath  to  follow  their  usual 
avocations  on  more  than  six  days  per  week,  except  in 
household  service,  the  care  of  stock,  and  care  of  the 
sick.  That  no  mails  or  mail  matter  shall  be  trans- 
ported in  time  of  peace  over  any  land  postal  route,  nor 
shall  any  mail  matter  be  collected,  assorted,  handled 
or  delivered  during  any  part  of  the  first  day  of  the 
week.  .  .  .  That  all  military  and  naval  drills, 
musters  and  parades,  not  in  time  of  active  service  or 
immediate  preparation  therefore.  ...  on  the  first 
day  of  the  week,   except  assemblies  for  the  due  and 


Methods  of  Securing  A  Day  of  Rest  93 

orderly  observance  of  religious  worship  are  hereby  pro- 
hibited." 

This  measure  was  urged  by  the  largest  petition  that 
had  ever  been  presented  to  our  national  Congress.  The 
petition  was  over  half  a  mile  long,  representing  the 
desire  of  over  ten  million  people.  In  addition  to  this 
a  Cardinal  of  the  Catholic  church  presented  a  state- 
ment for  its  passage,  representing  tens  of  thousands 
more.  The  public  hearing  for  and  against  it  was  one 
of  the  most  widely  circulated  reports  sent  out  by  Con- 
gress. The  measure  was  not  passed.  As  a  result  tens 
of  thousands  of  our  fellowmen  have  gone  down  in  phys- 
ical and  moral  ruin.  They  have  been  compelled  to 
labor  Sunday  and  seven  days  in  the  week,  managers 
have  thought  about  business  to  the  exclusion  0^  relig- 
ious life,  and  the  Sabbath  has  been  crowded  out  of  a 
large  portion  of  the  homes  and  out  of  the  life  of  our 
fellow  citizens,  with  all  the  dreadful  consequences. 
Our  nation  has  gone  backw^ard  instead  of  forward  in 
consequence,  in  interests  worth  while.  And  today, 
there  is  a  problem  upon  us  that  wx  must  solve,  namely : 
to  turn  back  the  tide  of  Sabbath  desecration,  to  bring 
the  employers  of  labor  to  reconstruct  their  plans  of 
business  for  a  day  of  rest  in  seven,  to  educate  the  public 
mind  and  conscience  in  the  observance  of  the  fourth 
commandment. 

For  the  accomplishment  of  this  Important  work, 
three  things  are  plainly  required:  an  organized  effort; 


94     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

agitation  and  education  of  the  public  mind  and  con- 
science;  and  legislation. 

The  first  of  these  is  all  important.  There  must  be  a 
combined  and  organized  effort.  This  is  a  special 
work.  The  church  cannot  do  this  work.  Of  course 
the  church  must  give  its  support,  but  it  requires  all 
denominations  and  all  organizations  looking  to  the 
welfare  of  humanity,  including  the  labor  unions,  re- 
ligious organizations  and  legislative  associations.  Field 
workers  are  necessary,  who  can  present  the  facts,  make 
plans  which  will  bring  results,  concentrate  the  senti- 
ment of  the  people  upon  the  required  effort,  visit  and 
urge  employers  of  labor,  legislative  committees  and 
move  the  people  to  give  and  live  for  a  better  use  of 
the  Sabbath  all  along  the  line.  Organizations  that  send 
out  circulars,  only,  and  talk  about  conditions,  accom- 
plish but  little.  The  work  that  has  been  done  has  been 
done  by  field  workers  who  have  gone  about  with  a 
message  and  a  plan,  securing  recommendations  and 
sending  them  where  they  will  move  people  to  act.  Money 
spent  in  this  kind  of  work  always  bring  results. 

The  second  need  of  this  work  Is  agitation  and  edu- 
cation. A  series  of  sermons  on  the  Sunday  question  from 
every  pulpit  would  bring  a  harvest.  Sermons  should  be 
preached  on  what  the  Bible  teaches  about  the  Sabbath ; 
the  history  of  the  sacred  day  of  the  week;  physical 
requirements  of  a  day  of  rest  In  seven;  the  economic 
benefits    of    a   day    of    rest    for    the    employee;    eco- 


Methods  of  Securing  A  Day  of  Rest  95 

nomic  conditions  in  respect  to  continuous  labor;  moral 
and  spiritual  necessity  of  a  people  requiring  the  Sab- 
bath ;  Sabbath  observance  in  the  development  of  Chris- 
tian character;  how  to  keep  the  Sabbath;  Sabbath  ob- 
servance and  home  religion.  This  subject  should  have 
a  prominent  place  in  religious  conferences,  instead  of 
being  crowded  out.  It  should  be  on  the  program  of 
Sunday-school  conventions,  for  there  is  nothing  so  much 
against  the  work  of  the  Sunday-school  as  Sabbath  dese- 
cration. The  people,  by  every  means  possible,  should 
be  brought  to  think.  There  is  need  of  instruction.  Most 
of  the  youth,  today,  are  brought  up  in  homes  where  they 
see  and  hear  more  against  proper  Sabbath  observance 
than  for  it.  On  all  sides  they  see,  through  the  forma- 
tive period  of  life,  labor  and  holiday  pastimes  out  of 
harmony  with  the  sacred  day;  and  as  they  grow  they 
form  the  impression  that  the  commandment  is  not  to  be 
observed.  They  read  the  fourth  commandment,  "Re- 
member the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy,"  and  they  won- 
der what  it  means.  They  would  be  surprised  to  realize 
that  it  means  what  it  says,  so  far  are  many  from  obedi- 
ence to  one  of  the  fundamental  principles  of  the  de- 
velopment of  Christian  life  and  character.  There  is 
dire  need  of  instruction  about  the  fourth  command- 
ment. How  could  they  know  what  it  means  who  have 
come  up  through  the  formative  period  of  life  where 
members  of  the  family  went  to  labor  as  usual  on  the 
Sabbath,  or  who  through  their  youth  have  been  employed 


96     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

selling  papers,  gathering  golf  balls  or  some  other  form 
of  work  for  pay?  Or  how  could  they  know  of  the 
sacred  character  of  the  day  who  have  been  brought  up 
through  their  childhood  using  the  Sabbath  as  a  holi- 
day? 

The  third  essential  in  solving  the  problem  of  the 
day  of  rest  and  worship  is  legislation.  It  is  impossible 
to  find  valid  reasons  against  making  Sunday  laws.  Every 
state,  about,  in  the  United  States,  and  every  civilized 
country  in  the  world  have  Sunday  laws,  and  these  laws 
have  been  sustained  by  the  courts  throughout  the  coun- 
try and  the  world.  All  regulations  must  be  outlined 
and  enforced  by  law,  without  which  there  would  be  the 
same  confusion  and  riot  in  the  violation  of  the  Sab- 
bath, as  there  would  be  without  law  for  the  support  of 
the  command,  "Thou  shalt  not  steal,"  or  any  other  of 
the  decalogue.  The  objection  that  Sunday  laws  are 
religious  laws  is  without  foundation.  There  is  religion 
in  the  command,  "Thou  shalt  not  steal,"  and  there  is 
civil  protection,  both  ph5^sical  and  moral,  in  Sunday 
laws  just  as  there  is  in  laws  regulating  honest  practices. 
Sundaj^  laws  are  among  the  most  beneficent  statutes 
ever  pased.  Where  Sunday  laws  have  not  protected  the 
quiet  of  worship  on  the  Sabbath,  or  humane  hours  of 
labor,  or  secured  freedom  from  labor  so  as  to  attend 
religious  duties  on  the  Sabbath,  the  health  and  morals 
of  the  people  have  suffered.  Eight  hours  for  labor  in 
twenty-four,  cannot  be  secured  without  regulation  by 


Methods  of  Securing  A  Day  of  Rest  97 

statute  of  some  kind,  no  more  can  Sunday  rest. 

One  day  of  rest  in  seven,  is  the  regulation  neces- 
sar}^  This  will  reduce  Sunday  labor  to  the  minimum, 
for  when  one  day  is  required  it  will  be  chosen  on  the 
Lord's  day,  especially  with  the  Sunday  laws  now  on  the 
statute  books.  All  kinds  of  regulations  have  been 
thought  out  and  tried  on  this  subject,  but  that  which 
is  efficient  and  practical  must  be  summed  up  in  the  fol- 
lowing statement : 

"When,  by  reason  of  necessity  or  charity,  an  employee 
is  required  or  permitted  to  work  on  Sunday  he  shall 
have  twenty-four  consecutive  hours  free  from  labor 
from  one  of  the  next  succeeding  six  days  of  the  week." 

Regulations  for  compensatory  time  off  from  one  of 
the  next  succeeding  six  days  for  work  done  on  Sunday, 
is  an  important  arrangement,  often.  The  half  holiday 
on  Saturday  is  important,  and  should  be  arranged  where 
possible.  Limiting  hours  for  labor  to  eight  hours  in 
twenty-four  is  important;  but  it  is  not  supported  by 
the  same  divine  principles  that  one  day's  rest  in  seven 
has.  Eight  hours  of  well  directed  labor  will  preserve 
the  toiler,  and  fit  him  for  doing  more  work  and  better 
service,  than  longer  hours.  Eight  hours  for  work,  eight 
hours  for  sleep  and  eight  hours  for  recreation  and  self 
improvement,  is  a  wise  regulation.  In  the  wording 
of  Sunday  laws  exceptions  must,  sometimes  be  inserted. 
These  exceptions,  which  are  made  because  of  necessi- 
ties, are  not  pronounced  class  legislation  by  the  courts. 


98     Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

Two  countries  have  made  notable  progress  in  secur- 
ing laws  for  a  day  of  rest,  as  national  regulations.  These 
countries  are  France  and  Italy.  By  their  laws  Sunday 
is  protected  as  a  day  of  rest.  Also  a  day  of  rest  each 
week  is  required,  allowing  time  off  from  one  of  the  six 
days  when  work  is  necessary  on  Sunday.  Many  coun- 
tries have  adopted  laws  embodying  these  points;  some 
of  which  are  Switzerland,  Spain,  Portugal,  Denmark, 
Germany,  Rumania,  Austria,  Bosnia,  Hergovinia,  Bel- 
gium, Canada,  British  India,  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  Chili, 
Argentine. 

Continuous  industries  must  be  recognized  in  one  day- 
in-seven  rest  laws. 

Blast  furnaces  in  modern  steel  plants  are  constructed 
for  continuous  labor.  Society  has  come  to  require  extra 
labor  on  Sunday  in  hotel,  and  often  in  household,  ser- 
vice. Transportation  is  demanded  more  and  more  as  a 
continuous  industry.  Electric  light,  rapid  transmission 
of  messages  and  many  other  forms  of  secular  affairs,  are 
required  by  the  public,  to  be  continuous.  A  strict  and 
sane  law  permitting  and  requiring  a  day  of  rest  in  seven 
for  those  employed  in  these  continuous  industries  is  es- 
sential to  the  physical  and  moral  well  being  of  the  mil- 
lions who  must  carry  on  this  work.  For  a  nation  to 
compel  so  large  a  portion  of  their  fellows  to  engage  in 
seven  day  toil,  with  its  disastrous  consequences  which 
are  unquestionable,  is  inexcusably  heartless.  It  is  below 
Christian  civilization.     It  is  wrong.     More  than  that, 


Methods  of  Securing  A  Day  of  Rest  99 

it  can  be  regulated.  It  can  be  regulated  without  serious 
loss  to  any,  and  with  positive  benefits  to  all  concerned. 
The  call  is  for  the  people  to  rally  to  the  leadership  of 
the  Lord's  Day  Alliance  or  whatever  management  will 
make  and  prosecute  plans  to  bring  the  law  to  pass.  The 
managers  in  these  industries  say  they  do  not  wish  to 
continue  employing  persons  to  labor  seven  days  a  week, 
but  the  people  require  it.  The  people  say  it  is  wrong 
in  the  managers  and  employers  to  so  require  seven- 
day  toil.  All  must  help  the  movement  toward  an  or- 
ganized effort  to  secure  a  day  of  rest  and  reduce  Sun- 
day labor  to  the  minimum.  Proper  support  of  a  lead- 
ership, agitation,  education  and  law  enactment  will 
easily  bring  the  desired  results.  Persons  in  authority 
must  be  interviewed  often,  urging  plans  for  reducing 
Sunday  w^ork,  which  makes  essential  the  employment  of 
persons  for  leading  on  this  special  work.  The  workers 
must  be  supported,  which  means  that  the  people  must 
give  and  co-operate  with  their  plans. 

One  of  the  obstacles  in  reducing  Sunday  work  to  the 
minimum  is  the  plea  which  is  commonly  made  that 
Sunday  labor  has  been  reduced  to  the  minimum,  in 
their  particular  line  of  work,  already.  That  plea  was 
made  by  the  Government  managers  of  the  post  office 
department  when  the  movement  was  first  urged  for 
better  Sunday  rest  for  the  postmen.  Nevertheless, 
since  that  plea  was  made  35,000  postmen  have  been 
given  freedom  from  Sunday  labor  and  nearly  70,000 


lOO  Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

have  had  their  Sunday  labor  greatly  reduced.  It  could 
be  reduced  further  by  the  habits  of  the  people  reducing 
the  demands  for  Sunday  mail  service.  The  first  post- 
master interviewed  in  this  movement  insisted  that  Sun- 
day labor  had  been  reduced  by  him  to  the  very  mini- 
mum. But  every  carrier  and  clerk  on  regular  duty  was 
required  to  work  part  of  each  Sunday.  When  the 
Sunday  closing  plan  was  ordered,  by  petition  from  the 
people,  nearly  all  the  carriers  were  released  from  Sun- 
day labor  and  the  clerks  were  allowed  a  reduction  of 
labor  on  that  day.  Yet  it  had  been,  in  the  opinion  of 
the  postmaster,  reduced  to  the  very  minimum  before 
this  sweeping  reduction  of  labor  on  the  Sabbath.  Even 
the  managers  of  railways  are  accustomed  to  claim  that 
Sunday  labor  has  been  reduced  to  the  minimum  in  rail- 
way service.  But  they  haul  empty  cars,  stone,  lumber 
and  all  kinds  of  imperishable  freight  and  require  station 
agents  to  remain  in  their  offices  to  report  weather  con- 
ditions, car  reports  and  many  details  which  could  be,  as 
a  rule,  dispensed  with  on  the  Sabbath,  allowing  the 
employees  freedom  for  church  services  and  private  re- 
laxation and  devotions.  As  thousands  of  persons  have 
been  released  from  Sunday  labor,  even  after  the  work 
was  thought  to  have  been  reduced  to  the  minimum,  so 
we  believe,  in  all  kinds  of  continuous  industry,  great 
reduction  could  be  made  in  labor  performed  on  the 
Sabbath,  with  no  loss. 

To  show  that  seven-day  labor  is  not  desired  or  ap- 


Methods  of  Securing  A  Day  of  Rest  lOl 

proved  we  quote  from  those  who  are  in  position  to  aid 
in  its  reduction.  At  a  meeting  of  the  Iron  and  Steel 
Institute  in  New  York,  Mr.  W.  B.  Dickson,  Vice 
President  of  the  United  Steel  Corporation,  advocated 
adjustment  of  the  working  schedule  In  blast  furnaces  so 
as  to  allow  every  man  off  one  day  in  each  week.  Mr. 
Schwab,  President  of  the  Steel  Corporation,  also  advo- 
cated it.  Samuel  Gompers,  President  of  the  American 
Federation  of  Labor  wrote,  "The  workers — that  is,  the 
organized  workers — are  constantly  engaged  in  the 
movement  to  reduce  the  hours  of  labor,  and  that  also 
implies  the  movement  to  limit  the  labor  of  workers  to 
six  days  per  week,  in  other  words — Sunday  rest.  We 
have  sought  this  by  legislative  enactments,  and  by  pri- 
vate agreements  with  employers."  The  Americ^.n  Fed- 
eration of  Labor  passed  the  following  resolution  at 
their  Convention:  "Whereas  the  American  Federation 
of  Labor  Is  unqualifiedly  on  record  for  a  day  of  rest  in 
seven,  and  has  been  efficiently  working  to  that  end ; 
therefore,  be  It  Resolved,  That  we  heartily  appreciate 
the  co-operation  of  the  Commission  on  the  Church  and 
Social  Service  to  the  end  of  securing  one  day's  rest  In 
seven,  and  pledge  to  them  and  to  all  others  who  may 
assist  in  this  work,  our  hearty  and  earnest  assistance." 
The  National  Association  of  Druggists,  passed  the  fol- 
lowing resolution  at  their  annual  meeting  in  Philadel- 
phia, August,  1914:  "Whereas,  the  druggists  of  the 
United   States  fully  recognize  the  need  of  a  weekly 


102  Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

rest  for  themselves  and  their  employees;  Therefore  be 
it  resolved,  that  The  National  Association  of  Retail 
Druggists  reaffirms  its  previous  declarations  fraternally 
requesting  all  druggists  to  limit  their  Sunday  business 
to  work  of  necessity  and  mercy.  In  this  movement  the 
druggists  welcome  the  assistance  of  the  press  and  church 
organizations  of  every  name,  and  hope,  by  combining 
in  this  good  work,  to  bring  about  better  conditions  for 
the  individual,  the  state  and  the  nation." 

The  American  Telephone  Company  has  eliminated 
the  seven  day  labor.  An  official  of  the  company  ex- 
pressed satisfaction  with  the  result,  and  stated  that 
increased  efficiency  of  the  employees  because  they  have 
a  day  of  rest  each  week  has  far  exceeded  expectations. 
Reference  has  been  made  to  the  increased  efficiency  and 
economy  in  the  post  office  department  of  our  govern- 
ment because  of  reducing  Sunday  labor,  and  securing 
the  benefit  of  freedom  from  labor  in  whole  or  in  part 
to  ioo,ocx)  postmen.  The  postmen,  who  have  been 
benefitted  thereby,  have  expressed  themselves  in  these 
words,  '*We  cannot  find  words  which  will  adequately 
express  our  thanks  for  our  Sunday  rest."  An  organ- 
ized effort  secured  a  weekly  rest  day  for  all  employees 
in  the  engineering  department  of  the  Federal  buildings 
of  the  port  of  New  York,  and  Hon.  William  G. 
McAdoo,  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  of  the  United 
States,  pronounced  it  a  "desirable  reform."  The  super- 
vising engineer  in   19 15  publicly  thanked  the  Lord's 


Methods  of  8e curing  A  Day  of  Rest         103 

Day  Alliance  of  the  United  States  for  bringing  it  about 
and  said  it  was  "a  benefit  both  to  the  employees  and  to 
his  department.  A  city  of  30,000  population  voted  on 
an  ordinance  for  a  day  of  rest  in  seven  for  employees 
within  the  city,  which  resulted  in  a  vote  of  3,654  for 
to  1,581  against  the  measure,  which  is  about  two  and 
one-third  for  such  a  measure,  in  an  average  city,  to  one 
against  its  adoption. 

These  are  but  a  few,  of  many  that  might  be  selected, 
of  the  views  of  employers  of  labor  as  well  as  the  desire 
of  the  laborer  and  of  the  people  generally,  for  reducing 
Sunday  labor,  and  for  a  day  of  rest  each  week  in  con- 
tinuous industries.  Employers  of  labor  in  all  kinds  of 
industry  have  found  a  day  of  rest  in  seven  both  practi- 
cal and  profitable ;  laboring  people  have  strongly  urged 
it;  the  mass  of  the  people  say  it  is  right  and  seven-day 
labor  is  wTong;  men  become  demoralized  in  character 
when  Sunday  labor  is  placed  upon  them;  why,  then, 
are  the  millions  kept  at  Sunday  and  seven-day  toil? 
Why  does  the  noise  of  business  and  traffic  not  quiet 
on  the  Lord's  Day?  It  is  because  the  good  people  have 
not  yet  combined  their  efforts  in  the  special  work  of 
bringing  about  the  desired  result.  Those  who  work 
for  bringing  about  Sabbath  rest  and  worship  must  labor 
without  support  and  their  plans  are  not  supported  by 
those  who  say  they  believe  in  a  day  of  rest.  The  excuse 
is  made  continually,  that  there  are  so  many  other  things 
that  this  cause  must  be  passed  by.    There  is  not  senti- 


t04  Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  M^orship 

ment.  "The  whole  land  is  made  desolate,  because  no 
man  layeth  it  to  heart."  There  is  not  sufficient  action 
because  there  is  not  sentiment;  and  sentiment  is  not 
awakened  because  the  means  of  awakening  sentiment 
are  ruled  out,  because  there  is  not  interest  to  support 
the  means  for  making  sentiment.  And  we  travel  in  the 
rut  which  leads  onward  in  the  downward  course  of 
destruction  of  the  physical,  moral  and  spiritual  qual- 
ities of  the  nation.  "There  is  a  withholding  more  than 
is  meet  and  it  tendeth  to  poverty."  This  was  never 
more  true  than  in  the  withholding  from  the  Sabbath 
cause.  Efforts  put  forth  for  the  defense  of  the  day  of 
rest  and  worship  have  accomplished  the  greatest  of  re- 
sults. The  famine  has  been  sore  upon  us,  but  a  cloud 
is  in  the  sky  the  size  of  a  man's  hand.  Faithful  people 
are  praying  that  the  people  may  take  this  to  heart  and 
act.  What  has  been  accomplished  has  proved  what  can 
be  done;  but  it  is  not  yet  done.  Who  will  lend  a  hand? 
Now  is  the  time  to  act.  Things  are  in  shape  to  push. 
Never  before  has  the  American  people  and  all  the  world 
faced  a  situation  that  so  demanded  definite  measure  for 
defending  the  day  of  rest,  as  now,  in  this  commercial 
age.  Never  before  have  the  facts  been  at  hand  to 
demonstrate  and  convince  the  public  mind  of  the  in- 
creased efficiency  and  economy  and  the  moral  require- 
ments of  the  Sabbath.  We  must  act  now.  We  are  at 
the  point  of  moving  one  way  or  the  other;  it  is  either 
downward  or  upward.     The  mad  rush  of  commercial- 


Methods  of  Securing  A  Day  of  Rest  105 

ism  and  pleasure  seeking  will  demonstrate  the  need  of  a 
Sabbath  and  bring  the  salvation  required,  or  the  poison 
of  selfish  greed  and  passion  will  blind  and  demoralize 
until  we  sink  into  paganism,  as  most  of  the  world  has 
done.  Where  the  Sabbath  declines  religion  declines; 
where  religion  declines  the  power  to  know  and  keep  the 
truths  of  the  Bible  fade  away.  The  Sabbath  is  funda- 
mental. 

The  steps  downward  are  easily  taken.  People  en- 
gage in  careless  uses  of  the  Sabbath;  then  follows  a 
more  open  disregard  for  the  Sabbath;  thoughtless  as- 
sociations increase  with  every  transgression;  Sabbath 
breaking  associates  and  the  force  of  conditions  seem  to 
make  Sunday  visiting,  holiday  outings  and  Sunday  la- 
bor necessary;  conscience  declines;  the  Sabbath  is  ex- 
plained away ;  to  excuse  the  thoughtless  transgressions  it 
is  said  to  be  puritanical,  not  practical,  it  has  passed 
away,  the  fourth  commandment  has  passed  out  of  the 
decalogue  and  many  other  excuses  that  might  justify 
the  transgressions.  These  tendencies,  so  natural  in  man, 
require  an  organized  effort  to  repair. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

HOW  TO  KEEP  THE  SABBATH 

"If  thou  turn  away  thy  foot  from  the  Sabbath,  from 
doing  thy  pleasure  on  my  holy  day;  and  call  the  Sab- 
bath a  delight,  the  holy  of  the  Lord,  honorable;  and 
shalt  honor  Him,  not  doing  thine  own  ways,  nor  find- 
ing thine  own  pleasure,  nor  speaking  thine  own  words: 
then  shalt  thou  delight  thyself  in  the  Lord;  and  I  will 
cause  thee  to  ride  upon  the  high  places  of  the  earth, 
and  feed  thee  with  heritage  of  Jacob  thy  father:  for 
the  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken  it.'* — ISA.  58,  13, 
14. 

"Hallow  ye  the  Sabbath  Day,  as  I  commanded  your 
fathers/* — Jer.  22:17. 

"A  holiday  Sabbath  is  the  ally  of  despotism,  a  Chris- 
tian Sabbath  is  the  Holy  Day  of  freedom/* — Hallam. 

"The  Sabbath  is  to  be  sanctified  by  a  holy  resting  all 
that  day,  even  from  such  wordly  employments  and  rec- 
reations as  are  lawful  on  other  days;  and  spending  the 
whole  time  in  the  public  and  private  exercises  of  God's 
worship,  except  so  much  as  is  to  be  taken  up  in  the 
work  of  necessity  and  mercy." — Shorter  Catechism. 

THE  first  requirement  in  the  fourth  com- 
mandment is  for  the  observance  of  the  sa- 
cred duties  for  maintaining  and  promoting 
religious  life,  and  the  second  requirement  is 
rest.     It  is  not,  first  rest,  then  second  religion.     First, 
it  is  "Remember  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy!* 
106 


How  to  Keep  the  Sabbath  107 

Next  to  that  is,  "Six  days  shalt  thou  labor  and  do  all 
thy  work,  but  the  seventh  day  is  the  Sabbath  of  the 
Lord  thy  God,  in  it  thou  shalt  not  do  any  work."  As 
the  soul  is  superior  to  the  body;  as  duties  to  God  are  be- 
fore any  other;  as  building  character  is  before  physical 
gratification,  so  the  requirements  of  the  Sabbath  for 
spiritual  refreshment  take  precedence  to  the  require- 
ments of  physical  rest.  Both  are  required  and  both  are 
possible  at  the  same  time.  The  first  purpose  of  the 
Sabbath  is  to  worship  God  as  our  Creator,  to  Honor 
Him  as  our  Savior,  to  keep  in  us  a  proper  knowledge 
and  Faith  for  our  salvation,  to  refresh  our  spiritual  life, 
to  commune  with  our  Lord.  The  work  of  the  six  days 
for  making  a  living  forbid  this  necessary  communion 
and  spiritual  refreshment.  By  setting  aside  these  duties 
we  both  have  freedom  of  mind  and  release  from  annoy- 
ance, allowing  us  to  rest  and  develop  Christian  life 
and  character.  There  is  rest  in  worship.  When  weary 
in  body  we  attend  to  religious  thoughts  or  a  religious 
service  we  are  refreshed  in  body.  There  is  more  rest 
in  religious  exercises  than  in  dissipation,  to  the  person 
in  his  normal  condition. 

When  we  consider  how  to  keep  the  Sabbath,  there 
are  many  problems  of  conscience  which  each  must  solve 
for  himself.  There  are  "works  of  necessity,"  there  are 
conditions  and  associations  which  enter  in.  These  make 
the  problem  more  difficult,  but  do  not  nullify  the  com- 
mand.   The  one  essential  to  keep  before  us  in  defining 


lo8   Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

what  is  permissible  is  its  sacred  character,  which  con- 
stitutes the  Sabbath.  ''He  blessed  the  Sabbath  day  and 
hallowed  it."  The  only  difference  that  distinguishes  it 
from  other  days  is  that  it  is  sacred  time.  It  was  made 
sacred  for  the  purpose  of  protecting  time  for  religious 
and  moral  development  and  rest.  Jesus  said,  "The 
Sabbath  was  made  for  man."  What  made  the  Sab- 
bath? It  was  its  sacred  character.  That  is  the  char- 
acteristic which  makes  the  name  of  Jehovah  different 
from  other  persons,  and  which  makes  profane  the  care- 
less use  of  His  name.  There  are  sacred  places  and 
sacred  sacraments  and  sacred  book,  the  Bible.  So  the 
Sabbath  differs  from  other  days  by  reason  of  its  sacred 
character.  We  are  to  "Remember  the  Sabbath  day  to 
keep  it  holy."  "Hallow  my  Sabbaths;  and  they  shall  be 
a  sign  between  me  and  you,  that  ye  may  know  that  I  am 
the  Lord  your  God."  "I  will  teach  you  the  differ- 
ence between  the  holy  and  profane."  The  Sabbath  can- 
not be  a  holy  day  and  a  holiday. 

Learning  to  recognize  the  quality  of  sacredness  In 
the  Sabbath  is  the  greater  part  of  the  solution  of  the 
question,  how  to  keep  the  Sabbath?  Children  should  be 
brought  up  through  the  formative  period  of  life  recog- 
nizing the  sacredness  of  the  day,  thus  making  it  differ- 
ent from  the  other  six  days  of  the  week. 

It  was  no  breach  of  sacredness  of  the  day  for  Jesus 
to  heal  on  the  Sabbath  those  who  were  placed  before 
Him.    He  taught  on  the  Sabbath.    There  is  both  sacred 


How  to  Keep  the  Sabbath  109 

service,  for  promoting  the  Kingdom  and  rest  belonging 
to  the  day.  When  deeds  are  done  to  make  money,  as 
the  aim  of  study  or  labor,  the  sacred  purposes  of  the 
day  are  set  aside.  So  it  is  if  any  would  seek  amuse- 
ment, for  that  is  out  of  harmony  with  the  sacred  char- 
acter that  distinguishes  it  from  other  days. 

The  questions  that  belong  to  our  observance  of  the 
day  are,  where  we  go  ?  What  we  read  and  think  about  ? 
What  we  do  ?  When  we  decide  where  we  go  we  have 
done  much  toward  deciding  how  to  keep  the  Sabbath. 
We  can  go  to  the  house  of  God,  or  we  can  go  to  the 
place  of  amusement,  or  to  places  of  society,  or  to  the 
office  or  store  for  transaction  of  business  or  for  carry- 
ing on  secular  affairs,  or  we  can  remain  in  our  homes. 
We  remember  the  Sabbath  and  keep  it  by  deciding 
where  we  go;  and  into  what  kind  of  surroundings  we 
place  ourselves.  We  have  moral  and  spiritual  uplift,  or 
we  have  none  of  this  according  to  whether  we  place 
ourselves  where  religious  thoughts  come  or  where  world- 
ly, trivial  reflections  are  forced  upon  us.  If  we  go  to 
the  sporting  place  we  have  no  thought  of  engaging  in 
religious  devotion. 

What  we  read  has  much  to  do  with  Sabbath  keeping. 
There  are  books  and  papers  which  are  not  in  harmony 
with  the  sacred  character  of  the  day.  But  we  are  for- 
tunate in  having  a  literature  rich  in  elevating  thought. 
The  best  book  is  the  Bible.  There  are  no  stories  for 
children  so  attractive  or  so  well  adapted  for  them  as 


no  Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

the  stories  of  the  Bible,  and  they  are  true,  and  develop 
in  the  lives  of  )^outhful  readers  the  noble  qualities  of 
heart  and  conscience.  The  best  history,  the  choicest 
poems,  the  most  inspiring  songs  are  religious.  If  w^e 
do  not  read  the  Bible  on  the  Sabbath  w^e  are  too  busy 
with  secular  affairs  to  read  it  on  Monday  or  Tuesday 
or  any  day  of  the  week.  On  the  other  hand  the  world 
is  full  of  trivial  literature.  Never  before  was  there  so 
much  trifling  reading  flaunting  their  pages  before  us  in 
such  a  way  on  Sabbath  days  as  to  crowd  out  sacred, 
devotional  reading.  The  Sunday  newspaper  on  the  one 
hand,  and,  on  the  other,  pages  that  will  enrich  the  soul, 
that  will  abide  and  build  noble  qualities.  These  are 
before  us;  what  we  choose  to  read  will  determine 
how  we  observe  the  Sabbath.  We  should  choose  our 
reading  in  keeping  with  the  sacred  character  of  the  day. 
We  cannot  keep  a  holy  Sabbath  by  reading  unholy  lit- 
erature. 

In  many  homes  it  is  the  custom  for  the  parents  and 
children  on  Sabbath  afternoons  to  read  the  Bible  verse 
about,  or  some  other  religious  reading.  Those  who 
have  tried  it  would  not  exchange  this  valuable  help  in 
Christian  nurture  and  pleasant  Sabbath  associations 
for  all  the  base  ball  games  and  shows  and  holiday  out- 
ings that  could  be  provided.  In  this  way  the  men  and 
women  who  have  enriched  the  world  have  been  brought 
up.  They  who  do  not  keep  the  Sabbath  as  a  sacred 
day,  not  those  who  do,  say  that  the  day  spent  in  the 


How  to  Keep  the  Sabbath  III 

quiet  of  rest  and  religious  reflection  would  be  tiresome. 

We  need  to  take  time  for  meditation  on  the  higher 
sentiments  of  life  on  the  Sabbath.  The  most  inspiring 
thoughts  of  which  we  are  capable  are  not  thoughts  of 
pleasure  and  fashion  and  worldly  pursuits;  the  most 
inspiring  reflections  of  which  we  are  capable  are 
thoughts  of  our  responsibility  to  God,  of  our  relations 
with  God  our  Father  and  Savior,  of  the  plan  of  salva- 
tion, of  Faith  in  Christ  for  the  forgiveness  of  sin,  of 
our  adoption  and  inheritance  because  of  what  Jesus 
Christ  has  purchased  for  us,  of  earthly  peace  and  heav- 
enly joy  that  has  been  prepared  for  them  that  love  Him. 
The  Sunday  newspaper  or  love  stories  have  nothing  to 
be  compared  with  the  reflections  on  these  subjects.  The 
one  makes  the  soul  rich  in  Faith,  love  and  repentance; 
the  other  impoverishes  the  soul.  The  one  creates  a 
hungering  and  thirsting  after  righteousness;  the  other 
unfits  the  spiritual  nature,  by  quenching  the  Holy 
Spirit,  from  responding  to  impressions  belonging  to  the 
higher  motives  of  life. 

A  man  had  a  garden  in  which  the  growth  of  vege- 
tables was  large  and  productive.  Close  by  another 
garden  produced  dwindling  stalks  of  corn  a  few  inches 
high,  without  vitality  sufficient  to  yield  anything.  The 
owner  of  the  gardens  said  one  of  the  gardens  is  as  fer- 
tile and  as  well  irrigated  as  the  other.  But  weeds  over- 
shadowed the  plants  in  one  and  prevented  the  soil  and 
sunshine  from  giving  it  the  vitalizing  growth.     This 


112   Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

illustrates  how  some  have  a  flourishing  spiritual  life, 
while  others  have  not  spiritual  vitality  suflRcient  to  pro- 
duce fruits  for  the  kingdom.  It  is  because  one  places 
himself  where  the  sacred  reflections  of  the  divine  Spirit 
enrich  the  soul,  while  the  other  person,  by  trifling 
thoughts  and  worldly  surroundings  in  which  he  places 
himself,  prevents  the  nobler  thoughts  from  reaching 
and  vitalizing  his  spiritual  nature.  There  is  no  growth 
m  spiritual  life  where  there  is  no  Sabbath  that  brings 
the  mind  and  heart  to  reflect  upon  the  sacred  truths 
of  Scripture.  God  gave  us  the  Sabbath  because  we 
needed  release  from  the  duties  of  earning  a  living,  to 
be  free  to  reflect  upon  the  higher  truths  of  religion. 
That  is  ''remembering  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy." 
Human  nature  is  prone  to  follow  the  baser  thoughts 
and  motives  even  on  the  Sabbath  day.  "Not  finding 
our  own  pleasure,  nor  speaking  our  own  words,"  refer- 
red to  in  Isaiah  58:13,  means  that  on  His  holy  day  we 
are  to  turn  aside  from  the  pleasures  that  the  carnal 
nature  prefers,  and  from  the  conversation  we  would 
naturally  choose,  to  the  thoughts  and  conversation 
proper  for  the  sacred  Sabbath.  If  we  talk  about  pleas- 
ure and  fashion  and  business  and  society  we  cannot 
reflect  upon  the  sacred  truths  intended  for  the  Sabbath. 
If  we  engage  in  conversation,  reading  or  employments 
which  violate  the  fourth  commandment,  we  quench  the 
Holy  Spirit  from  our  lives.  On  the  other  hand,  those 
who  engage  in  reading,  thought  and  religious  service 


How  to  Keep  the  Sabbath  1 13 

in  keeping  with  the  sacred  day,  are  built  up  in  Faith, 
love  and  obedience.  That  is  the  reason  all  have  re- 
ported that,  in  their  observation,  those  who  use  the  Sab- 
bath as  a  holiday  or  work  day  do  not  grow  in  the 
Christian  life,  while  Sabbath  keepers  resist  unbelief  and 
gcdlessness. 

Some  ask  if  it  is  not  proper  to  go  on  joy  rides  or  visit 
on  the  Sabbath  when  they  work  during  the  six  days  of 
the  week,  and  Sunday  is  the  only  time  they  have  for 
such  pastimes.  Each  one  should  carefuly  weigh  his 
own  motives  and  consult  his  needs  with  a  good  con- 
science, on  this  subject.  Some  facts  bear  upon  this  sub- 
ject which  we  should  keep  in  mind.  The  salvation  of 
the  soul  is  the  highest  necessity.  The  health  of  the 
moral  and  spiritual  life  is  more  important  than  the 
health  of  the  body.  Duties  intended  for  the  Sabbath  are 
as  important  as  the  duties  of  any  other  day  of  the  week. 
We  may  need  rest  and  relaxation,  but  we  may  need 
spiritual  refreshment  more.  Our  preference  is  no  more 
the  safe  law  in  this  than  in  any  other  duty  that  calls 
for  our  time  and  effort.  "What  will  it  profit  a  man  if 
he  gain  the  w^hole  world  and  lose  his  soul?"  If  employ- 
ing men  to  labor  on  the  Sabbath  increases  dividends  but 
causes  the  men  to  become  demoralized  in  character  it  is 
wrong.  When  Sunday  outings  give  physical  satisfac- 
tion but  weakens  Christian  character  they  are  wrong; 
for  character  is  more  important  than  our  pleasure.  But 
pleasure  is  not  necessarily  against  character  building.   If 


114  Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

an  outing  on  the  Sabbath  tends  to  physical  upbuilding 
and  does  not  detract  from  spiritual  development  it  is 
right. 

The  worth  of  what  has  been  said  is  illustrated  by  the 
life  of  a  man,  who  lived  a  number  of  years  ago  in  Vir- 
ginia. He  was  receiving  a  small  salary  and  was  recom- 
mended by  his  pastor  for  a  position  as  local  railway 
agent.  The  young  man  knew  nothing  of  it  until  he 
received  the  appointment  at  a  salary  nearly  three  times 
the  amount  he  had  been  receiving.  After  accepting  the 
new  work,  but  before  beginning  it,  he  learned  that  he 
would  be  required  to  work  on  Sunday.  He  at  once 
wrote  to  the  railway  company  that  because  of  Sunday 
work  required  he  could  not  take  the  position.  The  pas- 
tor, learning  of  what  he  had  done,  commended  him 
highly  for  the  stand  he  had  taken.  The  developments 
of  later  years  make  known  what  the  right  course  is  in 
such  Sunday  problems.  That  young  man,  today,  is  the 
president  of  the  largest  manufacturing  plants  in  the  city, 
whose  product  has  a  nation  wide  reputation.  His  in- 
fluence is  great,  and  he  has  not  lost  because  he  refused 
Sunday  work.  His  character  has  become  enriched  as 
it  could  not  had  he  accepted  the  Sunday  labor.  He  is 
an  elder  in  a  Presbyterian  church  and  is  a  most  earnest 
and  useful  Christian  business  man.  He  has  expressed 
himself  that  he  has  seen  the  benefits  in  his  life  from 
not  accepting  the  Sunday  work  In  the  trying  time,  in 
his  early  years. 


How  to  Keep  the  Sabbath  115 

We  do  not  need  to  go  far  to  find  many,  who,  like  this 
man,  have  stood  against  attractive  inducements  for  Sab- 
bath breaking,  and  have  become  strong  tnd  useful 
Christian  characters  because  of  their  stand.  On  the 
other  hand,  wt  fear  that  many  have  yielded  to  the  temp- 
tation to  violate  the  Sabbath,  and  have  destroyed  their 
Christian  life,  thereby.  Some  may  be  richer  in  purse 
because  they  have  been  heedless  of  the  sacred  Sabbath, 
but  they  are  poorer  in  Faith.  And  it  is  doubtful,  if  in 
the  end,  they  are  richer  in  purse. 


CHAPTER  IX 

CHANGE    OF    THE    SABBATH    FROM    THE    SEVENTH    TO 
THE  FIRST  DAY  OF  THE  WEEK. 

''On  the  first  day  of  the  week  {Greek,  First  of  the 
Sabbaths)  cometh  Mary  Magdalene  early,  when  it  was 
yet  dark,  unto  the  sepulchre/' — John  20: 1. 

''fVe  keep  the  first  day  of  the  week  as  the  Sabbath, 
instead  of  the  seventh,  because  our  Lord  arose  from  the 
dead  on  that  day." — Tertullian  about  195  A.  D. 

THE  first  day  of  the  week  has  been  observed 
as  the  Sabbath  since  the  resurrection  of 
Christ,  by  the  Christian  people  generally. 
Some  have  questioned  the  Divine  sanction 
and  authority  for  this  change,  from  the  seventh  to  the 
first  day  of  the  week.  The  belief  generally  is,  thav 
man's  redemption  and  salvation  from  sin,  completed 
at  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  is  now  the  foremost  theme 
in  our  worship  and  religious  service,  as  the  work  of 
creation  was  the  theme  that  called  for  man's  devotion 
chiefly  in  the  former  dispensation;  *'a  new  heaven  and 
a  new  earth,"  ushered  in  by  the  resurrection  of  Christ 
on  the  first  day  of  the  week,  which  we  celebrate;  and 
that  this  was  appointed  to  us  by  Divine  authority. 
The  Bible  authority  for  the  Sabbath  on  the  first  day 
116 


Change  of  the  Sabbath  117 

of  the  week,  from  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  is  distinct. 
The  Holy  Spirit  has  called  the  first  day  of  the  week 
"the  Sabbath"  each  time  it  is  referred  to  in  the  Scrip- 
tures since  the  resurrection  of  Christ.  This  fact  is  not 
generally  known  or  recognized.  But  the  first  day  of 
the  week  is  called  "Sabbath,"  in  the  Scriptures,  by  the 
same  Greek  word  which  refers  to  the  seventh  day  of  the 
week  before  the  resurrection.  The  reading  in  Matt. 
28:1  is  "In  the  end  of  the  Sabbath  (the  Old  Testa- 
ment Sabbath)  as  it  began  to  dawn  toward  the  first  of 
the  Sabbaths,  (translated,  first  day  of  the  week,  but 
the  word  is  the  same  as  was  used  for  the  day  before,) 
came  Mary  Magdalene  and  the  other  Mary  to  the 
sepulchre." 

The  first  day  of  the  week  is  called  the  Sabbath,  also, 
by  the  Gospel  of  Mark.  In  Mark  16:1,  2  we  read, 
"When  the  Sabbath  (Old  Testament  Sabbath)  was  past 
Mary  Magdalene  and  Mary  the  mother  of  James,  and 
Salome,  had  brought  sweet  spices,  that  they  might 
come  and  annoint  Him.  And  very  early  in  the  morn- 
ing the  first  day  of  the  week  (the  first  of  the  Sabbaths, 
it  is  in  the  Greek,)  they  come  to  the  tomb."  In  the 
ninth  verse  of  the  same  chapter  Mark  again  calls  the 
first  day  of  the  week  Sabbath.  "When  Jesus  was  risen 
early  the  first  day  of  the  week  (Sabbath,  it  is  in  the 
Greek.)  He  appeared  first  to  Mary  Magdalene." 
The  words  here  are  "prote  sabbatou,"  meaning,  the 
very  first  Sabbath.    Luke  calls  the  first  day  of  the  week 


Il8  Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

the  Sabbath  In  the  similar  account  In  Luke  24:1,  and 
John  20:1.  Also  In  the  same  chapter  19th  verse  we 
read,  "The  same  day  at  evening,  being  the  first  of  the 
Sabbaths,  (translated,  'first  day  of  the  week,') .  .came 
Jesus  and  stood  In  the  midst." 

The  Christians  with  Paul  worshiped  at  Troas  on  the 
Sabbath,  the  first  day  of  the  week.  Acts  20:7.  The 
Christians  at  Gallatia  and  Corinth  observed  the  first  day 
of  the  week  as  the  Sabbath  according  to  i  Cor.  16:1,  2. 
"As  I  have  given  order  to  the  churches  of  Gallatia,  even 
so  do  ye.  Upon  the  first  day  of  the  week  (Greek  Sab- 
baton)  let  every  one  of  you  lay  in  store  as  God  hath 
prospered  him." 

John  about  the  year  96  A.  D.  wrote  Rev.  1:10,  "I 
was  in  the  spirit  on  the  Lord's  Day,"  which  evidently 
refers  to  the  Christian  Sabbath.  Jesus  met  with  His  dis- 
ciples and  others  on  the  Christian  Sabbath,  the  first  day 
of  the  week.  "After  eight  days  His  disciples  were 
within,  and  Thomas  with  them;  then  came  Jesus,  the 
doors  being  shut,  and  stood  In  the  midst,  and  said, 
Peace  be  unto  you."  On  the  day  of  Pentecost,  fifty 
days  after  the  resurrection,  being  another  Christian  Sab- 
bath, the  apostles  were  assembled.  "All  with  one  ac- 
cord in  one  place"  the  Holy  Ghost  was  given  to  them 
in  power.  Acts  2:1.  Jesus  met  with  His  apostles 
after  His  resurrection  forty  days,  "And  speaking  of  the 
things  pertaining  to  the  kingdom  of  God."  It  is  not 
improbable  that  then  and  there  He  established  with 


Change  of  the  Sabbath  II9 

them  the  policy  that  henceforth  they  should  use  the  day 
which  memorialized  the  work  of  finished  redemption, 
the  first  day  of  the  week,  as  their  Sabbath,  and  the  day 
on  which  He  met  with  them,  not  the  Jewish  Sabbath, 
and  the  day  which  celebrated  a  new  theme  of  worship, 
our  salvation  through  the  crucified  and  resurrected 
Lord.  For  we  find  the  early  Christians  referring  to 
that  day.  Through  the  history  of  the  church  from  that 
time  reference  is  made  to  the  first  day  of  the  week  as 
the  Sabbath,  Today  we  find  it  almost  universally  ob- 
served. Where  did  it  come  from?  There  would  be 
no  motive  in  changing  it  without  Divine  authority.  It 
is  not  a  matter  of  any  consequence,  only,  that  all  should 
observe  the  same  day.  And  the  Christian  dispensation 
should  honor  the  work  of  Christ,  who  was  both  Creator 
and  Savior. 

Ignatius,  who  was  born  about  A.  D.  30  and  died 
about  100  A.  D.,  and  who  lived  with  the  Apostle  John 
many  years,  wrote  of  "Living  in  the  observance  of  the 
Lord's  Day,  on  which  our  life  has  sprung  up  again  by 
Him." 

Barnabas,  the  Alexandrian  Jew,  wrote  about  the  year 
100  A.  D.  in  the  fifteenth  chapter  of  his  epistle,  "Where- 
fore we  keep  the  eighth  day  with  joy  fulness  of  heart, 
the  day  on  which  Jesus  rose  again  from  the  dead." 

Justin  Martyr,  a  thoroughly  Christian  authority, 
flourished  about  140  A.  D.,  born  no  A.  D.,  wrote  in 
First  Apology,   Chap.   67,   on   "Weekly  Worship  of 


I20  Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

Christians."  "On  the  day  called  Sunday  all  who  live  in 
the  cities  or  in  the  country  gather  together  to  one  place, 
and  the  memoirs  of  the  apostles  or  the  writings  of  the 
prophets  are  read  as  long  as  time  permits."  Then  he 
describes  their  religious  services  in  observing  the  Lord's 
Supper,  "offerings  were  made  for  the  poor,  the  sick,  the 
stranger,  Christians  were  directed  what  to  do  upon 
the  first  day  of  the  week,  the  Christian  Sabbath,"  i  Cor. 
16:2.  He  afterwards  assigns  reasons  why  it  is  on  Sun- 
day. "Sunday  is  the  day  on  which  we  all  hold  our 
common  assembly.  For  it  is  the  first  day,  on  which 
God  dispelled  the  darkness  and  the  original  state  of 
things  and  formed  the  world,  and  because  Jesus  Christ 
our  Savior  rose  from  the  dead  upon  it.  .  .  Having 
appeared  to  His  apostles  and  disciples,  He  taught  them 
these  things,  which  we  have  submitted  to  you  also  for 
your  consideration."  Since  he  taught  them  of  the 
weekly  day  of  rest  and  worship  on  the  first  day  of  the 
week  for  on  that  day  "Jesus  Christ  our  Savior  rose 
from  the  dead,"  it  is  a  strong  intimation  that  Jesus 
taught  His  disciples  that  the  first  day  of  the  week  is 
the  Sabbath  when  He  met  with  them  after  the  resur- 
rection. 

The  Bryennios  manuscript  written  about  120  A.  D., 
entitled  "The  Lord's  Teachings  through  the  Twelve 
Apostles  to  the  Nations,"  Chapter  14  says,  "But  every 
Lord's  Day,  do  ye  gather  yourselves  together,  and  break 
bread,   and   give   thanksgiving  after   having  confessed 


Change  of  the  Sabbath  121 

your  transgressions." 

Orlgen,  who  was  born  i86  A.  D.,  writes  that  it  is 
one  of  the  marks  of  a  perfect  Christian  to  keep  the 
Lord's  Day.  He  adds,  "Let  us  see  what  ought  to  be 
for  a  Christian  in  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath.  On 
the  Sabbath  day,  nothing  of  all  the  actions  of  the 
world  ought  to  be  wrought.  If,  then,  you  cease  from 
all  secular  works  and  carry  on  nothing  worldly,  but  oc- 
cupy 3'ourself  with  spiritual  w^orks,  go  to  church,  lend 
your  ear  to  the  Divine  lessons  and  homilies,  and  think 
of  heavenly  things,  exercise  care  for  the  future  life,  have 
before  your  eyes  the  judgment  to  come,  look  not  to  the 
present  and  visible  things,  but  to  the  invisible  future — 
this  is  the  observance  of  Christian  Sabbath."  Homily 
23  on  Numbers. 

The  Christian  Sabbath  on  the  first  day  of  the  week, 
or  the  Lord's  T>?.y  has  been  referred  to  in  the  writ- 
ings, also,  of  Tertullian  in  the  2nd  centur}-;  Felix  A. 
D.  210;  Cyprian  A.  D.  253;  Commodian  290  A.  D.  ; 
Peter,  Bishop  of  Alexandria  A.  D.  300,  wrote  "We 
keep  the  Lord's  Day  as  a  day  of  joy,  because  of  Him 
who  rose  thereon."  These,  it  w^ill  be  observed,  lived 
before  Constantine  became  a  Christian  Emperor  and 
m.ade  Sunday  laws.  It  has  been  advocated  that  the 
Sabbath  w^as  changed  by  Constantine  making  Sunday 
laws  just  before  325  A.  D.  But  these  show  that  the 
Sunday  laws  enacted  by  the  first  Christian  Emperor, 
were  only  in  harmony  with  what  the  Christian  people 


122  Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

were  observing,  already.  He  would  have  no  motive  for 
changing  the  day  out  of  the  time  observed  by  the  Chris- 
tian people.  The  Council  of  Nicea,  A.  D.  325,  refer 
to  Sunday  as  the  day  for  Christian  w^orship  as  a  settled 
fact. 

It  should  be  observed  that  the  Jews  kept  the  seventh 
day  as  their  Sabbath.  The  apostles,  in  going  about  en- 
tered into  their  synagogues  and  many  references  are 
extant  of  their  Sabbath  after  the  resurrection  of  Christ. 
These  references  have,  no  doubt,  led  many  to  believe 
that  the  Christians  observed  that  day,  as  their  Sabbath. 

The  time  in  which  the  seventh  of  rest  is  sacredly  ob- 
served as  a  time  for  rest  and  worship  is  not  important 
enough  for  this  much  space,  was  it  not  that  many  are 
unsettled  in  their  convictions  on  this  subject.  Christian 
people  in  distant  parts  of  the  world  are  keeping  both 
Saturday  and  Sabbath  day,  and  the  Lord  honors  all  of 
them.  When  the  Christian  people  of  Australia  are  en- 
gaged in  their  public  worship  at  11  o'clock  Sabbath 
morning,  the  Christian  people  of  California  are  enter- 
ing upon  their  secular  pursuits  on  Monday  morning. 
And  when  the  Christians  of  Alaska  are  in  the  midst  of 
their  public  worship  from  eleven  to  twelve  o'clock  Sab- 
bath, the  Christian  people  of  Japan  and  the  Philippines 
are  purchasing  their  supplies  for  Sabbath  on  Saturday 
afternoon  at  four  or  five  o'clock.  To  say  that  a  certain 
period  of  time  has  been  made  sacred  by  the  Almighty, 
which  must  be  "the  seventh  day,"  when  Christians  must 


Change  of  the  Sabbath  123 

observe  their  seventh  of  rest  and  worship,  is  unreason- 
able. The  first  day  of  the  week  comes  every  seventh 
day.  The  Divine  appointment  carries  a  sacred  time 
and  that  time  one  seventh  of  the  time.  Fair  minds  and 
Christian  charity  should  make  it  the  same  time,  in  each 
community,  for  all. 

We  are  assured  by  those  who  have  studied  the  sub- 
ject carefully,  that  the  day  of  the  week  for  observing 
the  Sabbath  has  been  changed  different  times.  Each 
year  the  people  of  God  were  required  by  Divine  ap- 
pointment, to  observe  the  Sabbath  at  the  time  appointed 
for  the  annual  feasts,  which  were  definitely  fixed  by  the 
day  of  the  month,  and  the  month  by  the  new  moon. 
This  would  require  the  shifting  of  the  Sabbath  one  day, 
or  two  Sabbaths  in  succession  at  times,  in  the  observance 
of  these  feasts  as  God  appointed.  All  the  people  of  God 
observed  and  recognized  the  set  time  of  these  feasts  of 
the  Passover,  on  the  fourteenth  day  of  the  first  month  ; 
the  feast  of  Pentecost  with  its  sacred  Sabbath  just 
seven  weeks  after  Passover.  The  seventh  new  moon, 
or  feast  of  Trumpets  had  to  be  observed  on  the  fixed 
date  of  the  eighth  and  fifteenth  of  the  seventh  month, 
and  ''the  first  day  shall  be  a  Sabbath  and  the  eighth 
day  shall  be  a  Sabbath."  The  fifteenth  of  Abib,  the 
day  on  which  the  Israelites  went  out  of  Eg}^pt,  was  to 
be  a  Sabbath  and  was  prominently  recognized,  so  that 
the  Sabbath  could  universally  be  made  to  conform  to 
that  date. 


124  Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

During  these  feasts  seven  Sabbaths  were  to  be  ob- 
served— two  at  Passover,  one  at  Pentecost,  one  at  the 
feast  of  Trumpets,  one  on  the  day  of  Atonement  and 
two  at  the  feast  of  Tabernacles. 

The  Sabbaths  fixed,  as  above  named,  would  require 
change  of  the  day  of  the  week  to  conform  with  the  new 
moon  or  unmovable  day  of  the  month.  The  phases  of 
the  moon  defined  the  months,  in  those  days.  The 
month  has  varied  with  peoples  and  times.  The  time 
of  the  feasts  was  fixed  with  the  new  and  full  moon, 
which  does  not  conform  with  the  time  of  the  seven  days 
of  the  week.  Some  of  the  passages  of  Scripture  which 
bring  out  these  facts  follow: 

Lev.  23  :34,  39.  "Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel, 
saying,  the  fifteenth  day  of  this  seventh  month  shall  be 
the  feast  of  Tabernacles  for  seven  days  unto  the  Lord. 
Also  in  the  fifteenth  day  of  the  seventh  month,  when 
ye  have  gathered  in  the  fruit  of  the  land,  ye  shall  keep 
a  feast  unto  the  Lord  seven  days ;  on  the  first  day  shall 
be  a  Sabbath,  and  on  the  eighth  day  shall  be  a  Sab- 
bath." Lev.  23:5-8.  'In  the  fourteenth  day  of  the 
first  month  at  even  is  the  Lord's  Passover.  And  on 
the  fifteenth  day  of  the  same  month  is  the  feast  of  un- 
leavened bread.  In  the  first  day  ye  shall  have  a  holy 
convocation ;  ye  shall  do  no  servile  work  therein.  But 
ye  shall  of^er  an  offering  made  by  fire  unto  the  Lord 
seven  days;  in  the  seventh  day  is  an  holy  convovation ; 
ye  shall  do  no  servile  work  therein."     Lev.   16:29-31. 


Change  of  the  Sabbath  125 

"This  shall  be  a  statute  forever  unto  you;  that  in  the 
seventh  month,  on  the  tenth  day  of  the  month,  ye  shall 
afflict  your  souls  and  do  no  work  at  all,  for  on  that 
day  the  priest  shall  make  an  atonement  for  you.  It 
shall  be  a  Sabbath  of  rest  unto  you,  and  ye  shall  afflict 
your  souls,  by  a  statute  forever."  Ps.  81 :3.  "Blow  up 
the  trumpet  in  the  new  moon,  in  the  time  appointed,  on 
our  solemn  feast  day." 

If  the  day  for  observing  the  Sabbath  has  been 
changed,  it  is  vain  to  say  that  the  observance  of  Satur- 
day or  what  we  now  call  the  seventh  day  of  the  week 
is  more  acceptable  than  the  first  day,  only  because  the 
commandment  says,  "six  days  shalt  thou  labor  and  do 
all  thy  work,  but  the  seventh  day  is  the  Sabbath."  The 
first  day  of  the  week  is  as  much  the  "seventh  day,"  of 
the  commandment  as  the  day  now  called  Saturday. 
The  observance  of  one  day  in  seven,  as  a  Sabbath  is  the 
requirement,  and  the  Lord  has  honored  the  people  who 
have  used  the  first  day  of  the  week,  the  day  which  is 
commonly  observed  by  Christian  people,  and  which  rep- 
resents the  resurrected  Lord,  the  completed  work  of 
salvation  as  well  as  the  work  of  creation,  as  much  or 
more  than  He  has  honored  those  who  oppose  their  day 
of  worship  and  contend  that  those  who  are  so  observing 
the  first  day  of  the  week  are  doing  wrong.  The  chief 
virtue  is  to  observe  the  custom  of  the  people  and  unite 
in  observing  the  same  day  as  the  day  of  rest  and  wor- 
ship. 


CHAPTER  X 


PLANS  OF  WORK 


''Be  ye  doers  of  the  word,  and  not  hearers  only." — 
James  i  123. 

TOO  much  stress  can  not  be  placed  on  doing 
those  things  that  bring  results.  We  have 
been  content  to  talk  about  what  ought  to  be 
done  instead  of  doing  the  work  requisite  for 
repairing  the  evident  wrong.  If  half  the  effort  which 
has  been  made  in  studying  conditions  and  passing  reso- 
lutions on  existing  wrongs,  had  been  used  in  wisely  di- 
rected plans  for  overcoming  the  evils,  the  Sabbath  would 
not  be  on  the  decline.  Resolutions  against  Sabbath 
desecration  accomplish  nothing  unless  they  are  sent 
where  they  aid  in  carrying  out  a  plan  for  protecting  the 
Sabbath.  We  know  better  than  we  do.  Those  who 
are  employing  Sunday  labor  would  like  to  have  the  pub- 
lic help  them  to  give  the  employees  their  Sunday  rest; 
the  Sunday  toilers  would  like  to  have  a  plan  brought 
about  for  their  rest  on  that  day;  the  Christian  people 
regret  to  see  the  Sabbath  so  desecrated;  but  all  the 
while  conditions  are  growing  worse  because  necessary 
actions  are  not  put  into  operation  to  stop  the  Sunday 
126 


Plans  of  Work  127 

labor.  We  have  not  studied  that  phase  of  the  work 
sufficiently.  This  is  one  place  where  actions  speak 
louder  than  words. 

An  important  part  of  the  work,  in  bringing  results, 
is  interviewing  employers  of  Sunday  labor  and  others 
in  position  to  act.  It  is  in  the  power  of  one  man,  often, 
to  release  hundreds  of  persons  from  Sunday  work.  He 
usually  needs  a  leader  in  Sabbath  observance  work  to 
prepare  public  sentiment  and  to  carry  through  the  plan. 
Managers  nearly  always  say  that  Sunday  work  and 
business  have  been  reduced  to  the  minimum.  But  this  is 
no  evidence,  as  facts  have  proved,  that  much  can  not  be 
done.  When  the  people  are  ready  to  act  the  manager 
will  be  willing  to  adopt  a  new  policy  and  make  a 
sweeping  reduction  in  Sunday  business. 

Public  Utilities  Commissions,  whose  office  is  located 
at  the  state  capitols.  The  Federal  Commission  on  In- 
dustrial Relations,  committees  in  legislatures  and  Con- 
gress, have  in  their  power  to  establish  measures  for  re- 
ducing or  increasing  Sunday  labor  and  traffic.  Recom- 
mendations, resolutions  and  petitions  secured  in  public 
meetings,  by  any  kind  of  vote,  raising  the  hand,  "Aye" 
or  "No"  vote  or  signatures  and  sent  to  them  will  mean 
much.  Following  is  a  copy  of  a  recommendation  to  the 
Public  Utilities  Commission  of  a  state,  which  would  be 
effectual : 

"To  the  Public  Utilities  Commission,  Dear  Sir — Be- 
lieving that  Sunday  labor  should  not  be  required  be- 


128  Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

yond  that  which  is  absolutely  necessary;  that  each  per- 
son is  entitled  to  a  day  of  rest  each  week,  and  an  op- 
portunity for  religious  services  on  the  Sabbath;  that 
railway  and  many  other  forms  of  public  service  is 
transacted  on  Sunday  far  beyond  that  which  is  neces- 
sary, to  the  certain  physical,  moral  and  spiritual  detri- 
ment of  those  employed;  that  it  is  breaking  down 
proper  uses  of  the  Sabbath,  and,  in  turn  is  operating 
against  the  welfare  of  the  people.  We  respectfully 
urge  you  to  give  most  favorable  consideration  and  action 
toward  eliminating  Sunday  and  seven-day  labor,  so  far 
as  possible,  in  all  forms  of  public  service." 

Utilities  Commissions  have  required  railway  com- 
panies to  put  on  Sunday  trains  against  the  will  of  the 
companies,  because  they  were  not  aware  that  public  sen- 
timent did  not  require  it;  and  they  have  power  to  re- 
duce Sunday  labor  and  traffic,  if  the  sentiment  of  the 
people  will  so  indicate. 

The  public  telephone  is  one  form  of  Sunday  labor 
that  can  be  greatly  reduced.  Many  towns  have  the 
service  for  certain  hours,  only  on  the  Lord's  Day,  while 
other  towns,  with  no  more  need,  have  the  service  con- 
tinued throughout  the  day.  Necessary  calls  can  be 
taken  care  of  the  same  as  emergency  calls  at  night,  if 
such  emergencies  should  arise.  Ample  opportunity  for 
ordinary  needs  if  Sunday  service  on  the  telephone  can 
be  had  from  an  hour  in  the  forenoon  and  an  hour  in 
the  afternoon.    For  the  same  has  been  done  by  as  in- 


Plans  of  Work  129 

dustrious  people  as  any  that  may  call  for  it  throughout 
the  Sabbath.  The  public  Sunday  telephone  is  a  Sab- 
bath breaker.  It  promotes  godless  uses  of  the  Sabbath, 
requires  people  to  labor  so  that  they  can  not  attend  to 
religious  duties,  it  disturbs  the  quiet  of  those  who  would 
keep  the  Sabbath,  it  educates  the  public,  old  and  young, 
to  disregard  the  day  of  rest.  The  excuse  that  the  doctor 
might  be  needed  on  the  Sabbath  is  only  a  pretense. 
Emergency  calls  can  be  arranged  for. 

Sunday  mail  is  likewise,  the  occasion  of  much  need- 
less labor  on  that  day.  Before  the  post  offices  were 
closed  in  cities  of  the  the  first  and  second  class  on  the 
Sabbath  day,  children  crowded  into  the  post  offices 
throughout  the  country,  after  Sunday-school.  Three 
and  four  or  more  members  of  a  family  often  called  at 
the  carriers'  windows  for  mail.  The  youth  were  edu- 
cated, thereby,  to  disregard  the  Sabbath.  And  when 
business  letters  and  packages  were  received  it  promoted 
secular  affairs  on  the  Lord's  Day.  It  was  breaking 
down  the  day  of  rest.  Even  yet,  in  towns  of  the  sec- 
ond and  third  class,  in  many  places,  the  same  downward 
drift  continues.  The  facts  have  shown  that  better 
moral  conditions  prevail  with  a  closed  post  office  on  the 
day  of  rest,  and  it  gives  many  freedom  from  labor  on 
that  day.  A  petition  signed  by  some  of  the  people,  with 
a  conference  with  the  postmaster,  and  sent  to  the  Post 
Office  Department  at  Washington,  will  remedy  this 
evil.     For  the  Department  are  desirous  of  abandoning 


130  Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

the  practice  of  keeping  their  places  of  business  open  on 
the  Sabbath  wherever  possible.  The  form  of  petition 
which  has  been  used  for  Sunday  closing  of  post  offices 
is  like  the  following: 

"To  the  Post  Office  Department,  Washington,  D.  C. 
Dear  Sirs: — Whereas  Sunday  closing  of  post  offices  has 
proved  a  satisfactory  method  of  handling  of  the  mails, 
in  many  places ;  that  no  conditions  seem  to  require  Sun- 
day mail  service  here  more  than  elsewhere;  that  visit- 
ing the  post  office  on  Sunday  is  from  habit,  largely,  not 
from  necessity.  Therefore,  we  respectfully  petition  for 
Sunday  closing  of  the  post  office  of " 

The  opening  of  stores  on  the  Sabbath  is  a  practice 
that  is  needless,  and  is  breaking  down  the  day  of  rest 
and  worship  in  many  places.  Most  families  do  not 
patronize  stores  for  anything  on  the  Sabbath,  and  those 
that  do  not,  flourish  as  well  as  those  who  do.  The  Sun- 
day store  is  not  a  necessity,  and  its  patronage  breaks 
down  the  Christian  life,  both  of  the  customer  and  the 
merchant.  Drug  stores  are  among  the  number  that 
transgress.  Scarcely  any  of  the  sales  of  a  drug  store 
on  the  Sabbath  are  for  necessary  medicines.  Many  ar- 
rangements can  be  made  for  securing  what  any  may 
regard  as  necessary  without  keeping  the  store  open 
through  the  Sabbath.  It  may,  if  necessary,  be  open 
for  a  short  time.  Druggists'  clerks  work  from  eight 
o'clock  in  the  morning  till  ten  in  the  evening,  often, 
seven  days  in  the  week.     Druggists,  themselves,  know 


Plans  of  Work  131 

the  wrongs  of  a  Sunday  drug  store,  and  passed  resolu- 
tions against  it  at  their  national  convention. 

The  facts  have  show^n  that  those  w^ho  engage  in  Sun- 
day baseball  do  not  develop  in  the  Christian  life.  It 
Is  w^orth  a  consideration  as  to  whether  those  who  are  in 
any  way  participating  in  that  and  similar  sports  on  the 
Lord's  Day,  are  active  in  the  work  of  the  church.  The 
most  practical  way  of  overcoming  Sunday  sports  is  by 
organizing  teams  with  Christian  young  men  in  them, 
and  with  rules  that  no  playing  shall  be  engaged  in  on 
Sunday.  This  subject  needs  careful  study,  for  many 
have  not  observed  its  relation  to  the  proper  use  of  the 
Sabbath  nor  the  tendencies  that  Sunday  sports  have  in 
leading  into  bad  associations  and  demoralized  life. 

The  closing  of  public  gaming  rooms  has  saved  many 
young  men  from  a  worthless  life,  and  their  continuance, 
especially  on  the  Sabbath,  is  a  menace  to  the  youth  in 
any  city  or  town.  Their  suppression  may  be  easily 
brought  about  by  a  careful  effort.  An  ordinance  is 
the  remedy.  Almost  any  council  can  be  persuaded  to 
adopt  such  an  ordinance  if  a  proper  effort  is  made  for 
securing  a  petition.  Following  Is  a  form  for  such  an 
ordinance: 

"An  ordinance  forbidding  keeping  open  to  the  pub- 
lic on  Sunday  for  playing  games  with  admission  fee  or 
wager.  Be  It  enacted  by  the  council  of  the  city  .  . 
It  shall  be  unlawful  for  any  person,  firm  or  association 
to  require  or  permit  any  person  in  his  or  its  employ,  to 


132  Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

keep  open  any  room,  hall  or  tent,  on  Sunday  between 
the  hours  of  twelve  o'clock  Saturday  night  and  twelve 
o'clock  Sunday  night  for  the  playing  of  billiards, 
pool,  cards  or  any  game  of  chance,  where  admission  fee 
is  charged  thereto  or  any  fee  or  wager  is  to  be  paid  in 
connection  with  such  games,  within  the  incorporated 
limits  of  this  city.  Any  person  violating  the  provisions 
of  this  act  shall  be  fined,  upon  conviction,  in  any  sum, 
not  less  than  ten  dollars  nor  more  than  one  hundred 
dollars  for  each  offense."  A  similar  form  may  be  used 
for  preventing  Sunday  shows  of  any  kind.  The  title 
should  include  in  its  statement  all  that  is  included  in 
the  ordinance. 

All  this  requires  a  special  work  and  special  workers 
to  bring  results.  And  that  means  that  support  of  Sab- 
bath defense  is  essential.  Public  meetings  on  this  sub- 
ject must  be  held.  Agitation  and  education  is  needed. 
We  can  never  save  the  Sabbath  by  preaching  the  Gospel, 
only.  This  work  must  go  with  the  Gospel,  and  must 
be  done  by  special  workers.  The  obedience  or  dis- 
obedience of  the  Sabbath  has  become  a  very  light  mat- 
ter with  many.  The  fact  that  when  our  population 
has  increased  27  per  cent,  in  the  last  decade  Sunday 
labor  has  increased  58  per  cent,  bids  us  consider  if  this 
work  is  well  done.  And  while  our  population  and 
Sunday  labor  have  increased  so  rapidly,  Sunday  sports 
have  increased  more  rapidly. 

Petition  and  recommendation  properly  used  is  the 


Plans  of  Work  133 

remedy.  By  this  method  we  let  our  light  shine. 
Greedy  and  unscrupulous  persons  petition  strongly  for 
measures  to  Utilities  Commissions  and  legislative  con>- 
mittees,  but  the  good  people  remain  silent,  and  the 
measures  are  adopted  which  break  down  the  Sabbath. 
One  petition  with  a  clear  statement  of  moral  worth  in 
it  will  have  more  weight  than  many  petitions  for  a 
Sabbath  desecrating  measure.  But,  too  often,  the  one 
petition  for  moral  defense  is  not  presented,  and  the 
legislators  feel  that  they  arc  compelled  to  grant  the 
measure.  There  is  no  person  who  feels  it  his  duty  and 
knows  how  to  present  the  measure  for  righteousness, 
while  many  are  employed  for  personal  gain  and  pleasure 
seeking  to  urge  unjust  measures. 

The  petition  of  four  hundred  and  fifty  locomotive 
engineers  of  the  New  York  Central  Railway  to  Mr. 
W.  H.  Vanderbilt,  some  years  ago,  asking  for  Sunday 
rest,  is  worthy  of  study.  "We  have  borne  this  griev- 
ance of  Sunday  labor  patiently,  hoping  that  every  suc- 
ceeding year  it  would  decrease.  But  after  long  and 
weary  service  we  do  not  see  any  signs  of  relief,  and  we 
are  forced  to  come  to  you  with  our  trouble,  and  most 
respectfully  ask  you  to  relieve  us.  Our  objections  to 
Sunday  labor  are  these:  First — This  never-ending 
labor  ruins  our  health  and  prematurely  makes  us  feel 
worn  out,  like  old  men,  and  we  are  sensible  of  our  in- 
ability to  perform  our  duty  as  well.  Second — The 
custom  of  all  civilized  countries,  as  well  as  laws,  human 


134  Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

and  Divine,  recognize  Sunday  as  a  day  of  rest  and  re- 
cuperation; and,  notwithstanding  intervals  of  rest 
might  be  arranged  for  us  on  other  days  than  Sunday, 
we  feel  that  by  so  doing  we  would  be  forced  to  ex- 
clude ourselves  from  all  church,  family  and  social  priv- 
ileges that  other  citizens  enjoy.  Third — Nearly  all 
of  the  undersigned  have  children  that  they  desire  to 
have  education  in  everything  that  will  tend  to  make 
them  good  men  and  women,  and  we  can  not  help  but 
see  that  our  example  in  ignoring  the  Sabbath  day  has  a 
very  demoralizing  influence  upon  them.  Fourth — ^We 
believe  the  best  interests  of  the  company  we  serve,  as 
well  as  ours,  will  be  promoted  thereby.  We  have 
watched  this  matter  for  the  past  twenty  years.  We 
have  seen  it  grow  from  its  infancy  until  it  has  arrived 
at  its  present  gigantic  proportions,  from  one  train  on  the 
Sabbath  until  now  we  have  about  thirty  each  way ;  and 
we  do  not  hesitate  in  saying  that  we  can  do  as  much 
work  in  six  days,  with  the  seventh  for  rest,  as  is  now 
done.  The  question  might  arise,  if  traffic  is  suspended 
twenty-four  hours  will  not  the  company  lose  one-seventh 
of  its  profits?  In  answer,  we  pledge  our  experience, 
health  and  strength  that  at  the  end  of  the  year  our  em- 
ployers will  not  lose  one  cent.  But  on  the  contrary, 
will  be  gainers  financially.  Our  reasons  are  these;  at 
present,  the  duties  of  your  locomotive  engineers  are  in- 
cessant, day  after  day,  night  succeeding  night,  Sunday 
and  all,  rain  or  shine,  with  all  the  fearful  inclemencies 


Plans  of  Work  135 

of  a  rigorous  winter  to  contend  with.  The  great  strain 
of  both  mental  and  physical  faculties  thus  constantly 
employed,  has  a  tendency  in  time  to  impair  the  requisites 
so  necessary  to  make  a  good  engineer.  Troubled  in 
mind,  jaded  and  worn  out  in  body,  the  engineer  can 
not  give  his  duties  the  attention  they  should  have  in 
order  to  best  advantage  his  employers'  interests.  We 
venture  to  say  that  nowhere  on  this  broad  continent, 
in  any  branch  of  business  or  traffic,  can  be  found  any 
class  in  the  same  position  as  railroad  men.  They  are 
severed  from  associations  that  all  hold  most  dear,  de- 
barred from  the  opportunity  of  worship,  that  tribute 
man  owes  to  his  God;  witnessing  all  those  pleasures 
accorded  to  others,  which  are  the  only  oases  in  the 
deserts  of  this  life,  and  with  no  prospect  of  relief.  We 
ask  you  to  aid  us.  Give  us  the  Sabbath  for  rest  after 
our  week  of  laborious  duties,  and  we  pledge  you  that 
with  a  system  invigorated  by  a  season  of  repose  and  a 
brain  eased  and  cleared  by  hours  of  relaxation,  we  can 
go  to  work  with  more  energy,  more  vital  and  physical 
force,  and  can  and  will  accomplish  more  work,  and  do 
it  better,  if  possible,  in  six  days  than  we  do  now  in 
seven.  We  can  give  you  ten  days  in  six  if  you  require 
it,  if  we  can  only  look  forward  to  a  certain  period  of 
rest.  In  conclusion,  we  hope  and  trust  that  in  conjunc- 
tion with  other  gentlemen  of  trunk  lines  leading  to  the 
seaboard,  you  will  be  able  to  accomplish  something  that 
will  ameliorate  our  condition." 


136  Obligations  to  the  Day  of  Rest  and  Worship 

Organizations  in  the  United  States  which  have  been 
formed  for  Sabbath  defense  exclusively,  are :  The 
Lord's  Day  Alliance  of  the  United  States,  vi^ith  its 
auxiliaries;  Lord's  Day  League  of  New  England;  The 
New  York  Sabbath  Committee;  The  Woman's  Na- 
tional Sabbath  Alliance;  The  New  York  State  Sab- 
bath Association;  Wisconsin  Sunday  Rest  Day  Asso- 
ciation; Northwest  Sabbath  Association.  Many  have 
been  rescued  from  the  demoralization  of  Sunday  work 
and  Sabbath  desecration  and  are  in  the  Christian  life 
and  service  today,  by  these  organizations.  No  other 
efforts  have  brought  more  into  the  Christian  life,  from 
what  has  been  put  into  them,  than  these  organizations, 
which  the  Head  of  the  Church  has  greatly  honored  by 
the  seal  of  His  power.  Scattered  throughout  this  coun- 
try are  workers  in  the  church,  who  have  been  rescued 
from  Sunday  labor  and  Sabbath  desecration  by  the  field 
workers  in  these  organizations.  There  are  no  better 
missionary  enterprises  for  the  saving  of  souls,  as  well  as 
bodies,  for  the  home  life  and  good  citizenship,  than 
these  Sabbath  organizations. 


Princeton    ineologicai   bemmary   Lioraries 


1    1012  01197  0185 


DATE    DUE 

MAR  ^  T  '^ 

, 

GAYLORD 

PRINTED  IN  U.S.A. 

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